-or;  e 


V 


fc'E^IS 


S^fe^--- 


:K  Ley,  LL.p. 


WORKS  OF  J.  M.  BUCKLEY,  LL.D. 


Supposed  Miracles .50 

Christians  and  the  Theater 60 

A  Hereditary  Consumptive's  Successful  Battle  for  Life,      .  .50 

Oats  or  Wild  Oats?     Common  Sense  for  Young  Men,   .         .  1.50 

The  Midnight  Sun  ;  the  Tsar  and  the  Nihilist.     .         .         .  2.50 

Faith  Healing.  Christian  Science,  and  Kindred  Phenomena,  .  1.25 

Travels  in  Three  Continents.  3.50 


JU      Q. 

2  .1 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE 
'    CONTINENTS 


Europe  *  Hfrica  +  Hsia 


BY 


J.  M.  BUCKLEY,  LLD. 


NEW    YORK:     HUNT    &    EATON 

CINCINNATI:    CRANSTON  &  CURTS 

MDCCCXCV 


Copyright  by 
HUNT  &  EATON. 

1894. 


Composition,  electrotyping, 
printing,  and  binding  by 

HUNT  &  EATON, 
i;o  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York. 


PREFATORY   NOTE. 


IN  reading  accounts  of  the  same  regions  by  different 
travelers,  I  have  often  been  struck  with  the  dissimilarities 
resulting  from  the  personal  equation.  Each  sees  what 
he  takes  with  him,  so  that  several  views  are  more  illumi- 
nating than  one.  Because  of  this  I  hope  that  there  will  be 
a  place  for  another  record  of  travel  in  many  of  the  most  in- 
teresting parts  of  the  world. 

Learning  by  experience,  in  protracted  tours,  that  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  information  is  necessary  to  the  interpreta- 
tion of  what  one  sees  and  hears,  I  have  endeavored  to 
interweave  such  knowledge  with  the  narrative  without  im- 
peding the  natural  flow  of  description.  Thus  I  desire  to 
aid  those  who  contemplate  this  journey  to  prepare  for  it ; 
to  refresh  the  recollection  of  those  who  have  preceded  me ; 
and  enable  those  who  do  not  expect  to  cross  the  ocean 
to  see,  "while  looking  through  my  eyes,"  almost  "as 
well  as  with  their  own."  J.  M.  B. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
From  New  York  to  the  Frontier  of  Spain. 

To  London — In  Paris — Anniversary  of  the  Coup  d'etat — Glimpse  of  Bordeaux — 
The  Grotto  of  Lourdes — Pau  and  the  Pyrenees — Bayonne  and  Biarritz 1-9 

CHAPTER  II. 
"  I  Take  my  Journey  into  Spain." 

Entering  Spain — Scenes  on  the  Frontier — San  Sebastian — Protestant  Missions — 
The  Infant  King — Reminiscences  of  Lafayette — Burgos — Carthusian  Mon- 
astery— Tombs  of  the  Parents  of  Queen  Isabella — The  Convent— Legends  of 
the  Cid— The  Cathedral  and  Castle 10-18 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Spanish  Capital. 

Location  of  the  Capital — Climate — Puerta  del  Sol — Royal  Palace — Review  of 
Troops — Picture  Gallery — Visit  to  the  Cortes — Spanish  Orators  and  States- 
men— The  Virgin's  Sandal — Protestant  Missions — Spanish  Horsemen. . .  19-29 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Eseorial,  Toledo,  and  Cordova. 

Situation  of  the  Eseorial — Character  of  Philip — Interior  of  the  Eseorial — Descrip- 
tion of  Toledo — Its  Cathedral — Picturesque  Gates — Ruined  Walls — Ancient 
Churches — The  Alcazar — Journey  to  Cordova — Cathedral  and  Great  Mosque. 

30-42 

CHAPTER  V. 
"Proud  Seville." 

General  Description  of  Seville — Tobacco  and  Porcelain  Factories — The  Hospital — 
Picture  Gallery— The  Colombina  Library— The  Cathedral— Tomb  of  the  Son 
of  Columbus 43-49 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Alhambra. 

Approaching  Granada — Not  Disappointed  in  the  Alhambra — Description — History 
— Purpose — Splendor — Iconoclasm  of  the  Christians — Ravages  of  the  French 
under  Napoleon — Mystery  and  Magic  of  the  Alhambra 50-57 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Granada  and  Malaga. 

The  Cartujan  Convent— Its  Beautiful  Church— Cathedral  and  the  Sepulchers  and 
Graves  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella— Gypsies— Malaga— Its  Fruit,  Superb  Scenery 
—Beggars — Visitors — Midnight  Mass  on  Christmas  Eve — Suburbs 58-65 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Peculiarities  of  the  Spaniards. 

Aspect  of  Spanish  People— Spectacles  in  Squares  and  Streets — Spanish  Politeness — 
Amusements — Morals — Lotteries — Women — Guardias  Civiles — Religion,  Cath- 
olic and  Protestant 66-73 

CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Bullfights  of  Spain. 

Popularity  of  Bullfights — Cost — Description— Attempts  to  Suppress — Attitude  of 
the  Church 74-8° 

CHAPTER  X. 
To  "  Afrie's  Sunny  Fountains." 

Voyage  to  Tangier — Views  Along  the  Route — Arrival — Street  Scenes — A  Moorish 
School 81-86 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Eye  of  Africa. 

The  Great  Market — Caravan — Distinctions  Indicated  by  Dress — Slavery  Past  and 
Present — The  Prison — Coffee  House — Suburbs 89-93 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Condition  and  Outlook  of  Morocco. 

Difficulty  of  Obtaining  Information — Government — The  Sultan — Mohammedanism 
in  Morocco — Decadence  and  Probable  Fate  of  the  Nation 94-100 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Gibraltar. 

Landing — Steamer  Flying  American  Flag — Long  Service  of  the  Hon.  Horatio  J. 
Sprague — Famous  Visitors  to  Gibraltar — Population — Military  Aspect — Curious 
Spectacles— Markets — Tailless  Monkeys 103-108 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Gibraltar.— (Continued.) 

Geological  Formation— History— Tour  of  Exploration— View  from  the  Highest 
Point — Gibraltar  Compared  with  the  North  Cape — Power  of  England.  109-116 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Algeria. 

Voyage  from  Gibraltar  to  Oran— Description  of  Oran— Railway  Journey  to  Algiers 
—Its  Appearance  on  Approaching  by  Night— Jardin  des  Plantes— Old  Arab 
Town — "  Marabouts  " 119-125 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Algiers  and  the  Atlas  Mountains. 

The  Black  Virgin— Strange  Ceremony — Interview  with  a  Moor — Algerine  Pirates — 
Arab  Cemetery — Bearded  Priests — Power  of  the  Jews — Sir  Peter  Coates — Tour 
to  the  Atlas  Mountains — French  Engineering — Apes — Wild  Animals.  126-136 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Marseilles  and  the  French  Riviera. 

Harbor — Cathedral — Church  of  Notre  Dame  de  la  Garde — Cannes — Nice — Monaco 
and  Monte  Carlo — Tragic  Incidents — Mentone — Mr.  Spurgeon 137-142 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Genoa  and  Milan. 

Statue  of  Columbus — Description  of  City — Cathedral  of  San  Lorenzo — History — 
The  Conservatorii — Via  di  Circonvallazione — Campo  Santo — Situation  of 
Milan — Cathedral — The  Roof — View  from  the  Tower — Church  of  San  Am- 
brogio — Gallery  of  Victor  Emmanuel — Cemetery — Parade  Ground — Triumphal 
Arch i43~IS7 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Venice — The  Enchanted  City. 

History — Situation — Piazza,  and  Church  of  San  Marco— Tomb  of  St.  Mark — Palace 
of  the  Doges — Roman  Catholic  Mission  Church — Grand  Canal — Campanile — 
View  from  the  Top  of  the  Tower 158-166 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Florence— Shrine  of  Art,  Science,  Literature. 

Famous  Artists  and  Scientists — Situation  of  Florence — Cathedral — Church  of 
Santa  Croce — Monastery  of  St.  Mark — Fiesole — Ruins  and  Views — Galileo's 
Tower — The  "  Golden  Book  " 167-173 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Rome— The  Encyclopedic  City. 

Glance  at  Rome's  History — Seven  Hills — Tiber — Pantheon — Column  of  Marcus 
Aurelius — Grand  Circus — Forum — Arch  of  Constantine — Appian  Way — 
Mamertine  Prison — Catacombs — Augustinian  Monastery — Capucine  Cemetery 
—St.  Peter's— Palace  of  the  Vatican— Sistine  Chapel— St.  Paul  Without  the 
Walls — New  Rome 174-186 


x  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Naples— The  Wanton  Beauty. 

Noted  Residents  of  and  Visitors  to  Naples— Beauty  of  Situation — Cathedral — 
Miracle  of  Liquefaction — National  Museum — Aquarium — Neapolitan  Peculi- 
arities and  Morals — Corso  Garibaldi  and  Corso  Vittorio  Emanuele — Improve- 
ments  187-192 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Vesuvius  and  Pompeii. 

Ascent  of  Vesuvius — At  the  Summit — History  of  the  Volcano — Edge  of  the  Crater 
— The  Descent — Pompeii — Streets — Houses — Baths — Theater — Pathetic  Dis- 
coveries    193-199 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
The  Italian  People. 

Excitability — Vanity — Superstition  —  Patience — Simplicity —  Improvement  —  Igno- 
rance— Loretto — Religious  Relics  and  Alleged  Miracles — Work  of  Protestants 
— Opposition  Encountered 200-204 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Going  Down  to  Egypt. 

Brindisi — Coast  of  Greece — Candia — Gaudo — Coast  of  Egypt — Arriving  in  Alex- 
andria— Pharos — View  of  City  and  Harbor  from  the  Base  of  Pompey's  Pillar — 
Site  of  Cleopatra's  Needles — Journey  to  Cairo 205-209 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Cairo — The  "  Mother  of  the  World,"  and  Heliopolis. 

Strange  Scenes — Citadel  and  Mosque  of  Mohammed  Ali — Mosque  of  Sultan  Hassan 
— Mosque  of  Amer  at  Old  Cairo — Island  of  Roda — Kilometer — Palace  of 
Gezireh  and  of  the  Khedive — The  Only  Egyptian  Lunatic  Asylum — Virgin's 
Tree — Heliopolis — Ostrich  Farm 210-220 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
The  Pyramids  and  the  Sphinx. 

Road  to  Pyramids,  and  Scenes  upon  It — Traveling  Bedouins — Ascent  of  Great 
Pyramid — View  from  Summit — Interior  of  Cheops — "  King's  Chamber." 

221-228 
CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

The  Pyramids  and  the  Sphinx.— (Continued.) 

History  of  Pyramids  and  Reasons  Why  They  Were  Built — Description  of  the 
Sphinx — Antiquity — Campbell's  Tomb — Extraordinary  Agility  of  a  Bedouin — 
Incidents  of  the  Trip 229-237 


CONTENTS.  xi 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
On  the  Nile. 

Importance  of  the  Nile— Cause  of  Annual  Overflow — Influence  upon  Intellectual 
Character  of  Egyptians — Way  of  Traveling  on  the  Nile  before  Steamboats 
Were  Introduced — Passengers  on  the  Prince  Abbas 238-242 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
Memphis  and  Sakkara. 

Scene  at  Starting — The  Khedive's  Steam  Yacht — Scenery — Scramble  of  Donkey 
Boys  for  Riders — The  Greatest  Capital  of  Egypt — Colossal  Statue  of  Rameses 
II — Sakkara — The  Step  Pyramid  and  Serapeum — Description  of  Interior  of 
Step  Pyramid — Account  of  Discovery  of  Serapeum  by  Mariette  Bey. .  243-248 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
The  Tomb  of  Tih,  and  the  Voyage  and  Visit  to  Beni-Hassan. 

Painting  in  Tomb  of  Tih — Pyramid  of  Maydoom — Characteristic  Scenes — Nile 
Fish— Palms— Cliffs  of  Gebel  et  Tayr— The  ' '  Mountain  of  the  Bird,"  and  its 
Legend — Origin  of  Fable  of  Charon  and  the  River  Styx — Tombs  of  Beni- 
Hassan 249-255 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
A  Diversified  Journey. 

Village  of  Beni-Hassan — Methods  Used  by  Beggars — Sugar  Factory — Dom  Palms 
— Asyoot— Oriental  Market  Scenes 256-262 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
Asyoot  to  the  Temple  of  Denderah. 

Bazaars  and  Market  Place — Starting  Point  of  English  Expedition  to  the  Soudan — 
Ancient  Lycopolis — Evidences  of  Roman  Occupation — Mission  of  United  Pres- 
byterian Church — Ophthalmia  Prevalent  in  Egypt — Scenes  at  Farshoot  and 
Keneh — The  Temple  of  Denderah 263-267 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Denderah  and  Nile  Experiences. 

Forgotten  Credentials — Chapel  of  Isis — Stories  of  the  Tentyrites — Inhabitants  of 
Orubos — The  Crocodile — The  Shadoof  and  Sakeeyah — Silence  in  Egypt. 

268-274 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
Thebes. 

Approaching  Thebes — Situation — History — Village  of  Luxor — Ruins  and  Village 
Life  Contrasted — "  Father  Abraham's  "  Knowledge  of  Antiquities — "Antiquity 
Smith  " — Avenue  of  Sphinxes — Karnak — Description  of  Great  Temple — Weird 
Scene 275-283 


xii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
Temples  and  Tombs  of  Thebes,  on  ihe  West  Bank  of  the  Nile. 

Temple  of  Koornah — Approach  to  the  Rameseum— Sculptures  and  Statue  of 
Rameses— Ride  through  the  Plains — Temple  of  Ptolemy  Philopater — Belzoni's 
Tomb 284-292 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
Ascent  of  the  Libyan  Mountains. 

Barrenness  of  the  Mountains — View  from  Summit — The  Descent — Colossi — "  Vocal 
Statue  of  Memnon  " 293-298 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
Life  in  Modern  Thebes. 

Entertainment  by  the  Consul  at  Thebes — An  Oriental  Dinner  at  the  House  of  the 
British  Consul — Wonderful  Boy  Gymnast — A  Huge  Monkey — Karnak  by 
Moonlight — Varieties  of  Stone  in  Egypt 299-302 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
From  Thebes  to  the  First  Cataract. 

Temple  of  Edfoo — Kom-ombos — Island  of  Elephantine — Camel  Riding — Assouan 
— Nubian  Boatmen's  Song — Ride  to  Philas — Ancient  Methods  of  Quarrying 
Stone— Description  of  Phils — Temple  of  Isis — The  First  Cataract — Herod- 
otus on  the  Sources  of  the  Nile — Aquatic  Feats  at  the  Cataract — An  Hour  in 
the  Desert — Experience  of  Foolhardy  Tourists  with  Robbers — Nubians — A 
Solitary  Palm 3°3-3I4 

CHAPTER  XL. 
Down  the  River. 

Southern  Cross — To  Luxor — Meeting  David  Dudley  Field — Aground  Fifteen 
Times — An  Alarming  Illness — Arrival  at  Cairo — Kaiserswerth  Hospital — 
Boolak  Museum 315-322 

CHAPTER  XLI. 
Mohammedanism  in  Egypt. 

Theories  of  Mohammed — Peculiarities  of  the  Koran  and  its  Teachings — Polygamy 
—Mohammedan  Services — University  to  Educate  Mohammedan  Priests — 
Chapel  of  the  Blind — Performance  of  Howling  Dervishes — The  Copts — Coptic 
Churches  and  Language — Greek  Church — Protestant  Missions 323~333 

CHAPTER  XLII. 
The  Suez  Canal,  and  the  Last  of  Egypt. 

An  Entertainment  at  the  House  of  Dr.  Grant  Bey — Mr.  Petrie — A  Sandstorm — By 
Rail  to  the  Suez  Canal — Ismailia — History  and  Description  of  the  Canal — 
Ride  on  the  Canal  to  Port  Said — Characteristics  of  the  Place — Festivities  at  the 
Opening  of  the  Canal — Leaving  Africa 334-.138 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 
Entering  the  Holy  Land. 

Approaching  the  Turkish  Empire — The  Harbor  at  Jaffa — Landing — Ancient 
History — Modern  Features — Fruit  and  Flowers — People — Incident  of  Napoleon 
Bonaparte 34'~344 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 
"  In  the  Way  Going  Up  to  Jerusalem." 

The  Road  to  Jerusalem — Plain  of  Sharon — Flowers — Road  to  Lydda — Tower  of 
Ramleh — Gezer — Valley  of  Ajalon  (Yalo) — Latrun — Amwas — Abou-Gosch — 
Mizpah — Jerusalem  ! 345-35* 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

Jerusalem. 
Situation — History — Population 352-357 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 
Outside  the  Walls  of  Jerusalem. 

The  Valleys  of  Gihon  and  Hinnom — Pool  of  Siloam — Fountain  of  the  Virgin — 
Valley  of  the  Kidron — Garden  of  Gethsemane — Tomb  of  the  Virgin — Mount  of 
Olives — View  from  the  Summit — Tombs  of  the  Kings — Tomb  and  Grotto  of 
Jeremiah — Walls  and  Gates  of  the  City 358-374 

CHAPTER  XLVI  I. 
The  Sacred  Places. 

The  Haram  Esh-Sherif — Herod's  Temple — Mosque  of  Omar — Mosque  El- Aksa — 
Wailing  Place  of  the  Jews —  Via  Dolor osa — Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher — 
Identity  of  Site 377-394 

CHAPTER  XLVIII. 
Bethlehem  and  the  Convent  of  Mar  Saba. 

An  Ancient  Guide — "A  Vain  Thing  for  Safety  " — Tomb  of  Rachel — Situation  and 
History  of  Bethlehem — Birthplace  of  Christ— Church  of  the  Nativity — Tomb 
of  St.  Jerome — The  Weird  Convent  of  Mar  Saba— History— Rules  of  the  Order 
of  Monks 395-404 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 
The  Dead  Sea,  The  Jordan,  Jericho,  and  Bethany. 

Wilderness  of  Engedi — Tomb  of  Moses — Beautiful  Views — Peculiarities  of  the 
Dead  Sea  Explained — Pillars  of  Salt — The  Jordan — Ancient  Gilgal — Russian 
Pilgrims — Bethany — Tomb  of  Lazarus — Tower  of  David  in  Jerusalem.  405-417 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  L. 
Peculiarities  of  Modern  Palestine. 

Jews — Greek  Church — Visit  to  the  Patriarch — Russian  Church  and  Pilgrims — 
Armenians — Copts— Abyssinians — Roman  Catholics — Protestants — Places  of 
Amusement — Society — Sect  of  the  "  German  Temple  " — Lunatics — The  "Amer- 
ican Colony  " — Lepers  and  Leprosy 418-427 

CHAPTER  LI. 
Leaving  Jerusalem. 

Description  of  the  Caravan — Shafut — Ramallah — El-Bireh—  Bethel — Ai — A  Slave 
Lost — Robbers'  Glen — Caravan  of  Camels— A  Night  of  Storm  and  Terror  at 
Sinjil 428-432 

CHAPTER  LII. 
From  Shiloh  to  Gerizim. 

A  Day  in  a  Mohammedan  Village — Children  and  Dogs — A  Mohammedan  Cemetery 
— Shiloh — Bible  Events  Connected  with  the  Place — Jacob's  Well — Discovery 
Made  by  Bishop  Barclay — Climbing  the  "  Mount  of  Blessing  " — Formation  of 
the  Summit — Ruins  Found  There 433~437 

CHAPTER  LIII. 
Sheehem,  Samaria,  Jenin. 

Events  of  Sacred  History  Connected  with  Nabulus — The  Modern  Town — Samaritans 
— Samaritan  Codex  of  the  Pentateuch — Across  the  Valley  of  Samaria — Street 
of  Columns — The  Plain  of  Esdraelon — Jenin 438-441 

CHAPTER  LIV. 
Jezreel,  Nain,  and  the  Cave  of  the  Witch  of  Endor. 

Figs  and  Palms — Jezreel — A  Bedouin  Camp) — Dogs  in  Palestine — Fountain  of 
Gideon — The  Beautiful  Village  of  Shunem — Caravan  Route — Nain — An 
Elderly  Appearing  Boy — Endor  and  its  Tragic  History — Cave  of  the  Witch. 

442-446 

CHAPTER  LV. 
Tabor  and  Nazareth. 

Views  Ascending — From  the  Summit — Ruins — Vesper  Music  in  the  Russian  Con- 
vent Chapel — Strange  Flowerpots — Lost  in  a  Forest — Nazareth — Population — 
Buildings — Mary's  Well — Mounts  of  Precipitation — Reliques  of  the  Christ. 

449-457 

CHAPTER  LVI. 
From  Nazareth  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee  by  Way  of  Cana. 

Kefr-Kenna— Mount  of  Beatitudes — First  View  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee — Tiberias — 
Description  of  the  Sea — History  of  the  Town— Grave  of  Maimonides — Two 
Protestant  Services  on  Sunday — The  Protestant  Mission  in  Tiberias. .  458-466 


CONTENTS.  xv 

CHAPTER  LVII. 
From  the  Sea  of  Galilee  to  Hermon. 

Four  Hours  upon  Galilee — A  Fishing  Boat— Ruins  of  Capernaum — Vividness  of 
Bible  Narratives — Ain-et-Tin — Road  to  Banias — Encampment  of  Bedouins — 
Joseph's  Well — Waters  of  Merom — Dan — Banias — Alleged  Attempt  at  Rob- 
bery— Fountain  of  the  Jordan — Probable  Scene  of  the  Transfiguration — Druses 
and  Maronites — Ascending  Hermon — Traditional  Scene  of  Saul's  Conver- 
sion    467-479 

CHAPTER  LVIII. 
Damascus. 

Antiquity  and  Beauty  of  the  City — History  of  the  Great  Mosque — Massacre  of  the 
Christians — The  Street  that  is  Called  Straight — Improbable  Legends — Protes- 
tant Mission — Grave  of  Henry  Thomas  Buckle — Salahiyeh 480-490 

CHAPTER  LIX. 
Damascus  to  Beirut. 

Varieties  of  Weather  and  Scenery — Through  the  Lebanon  Pass — Unique  Lunatic 
Asylum — Origin  and  Situation  of  Beirut — Syrian  Protestant  College — Other 
Christian  Missions — Grave  of  Bishop  Kingsley 491-496 

CHAPTER  LX. 
Cyprus  and  Noted  Islands  of  the  ./Egean  Sea. 

Cyprus — Lanarca — Greek  Church  of  St.  Lazarus — Rhodes — The  Colossus — Symi — 
Kos,  Birthplace  of  Apelles,  Hippocrates,  and  Simonides — The  Rock  Island, 
Patmos — Classic  Interest  of  Samos — Scio 497-503 . 

CHAPTER  LXI. 
Smyrna  and  Ephesus. 

Beauty  of  Smyrna — Figs,  Drugs,  and  Rugs — Cosmopolitan  Population — Languages 
— Wandering  Tribes — Religions — Tomb  of  Polycarp — Importance  of  Ephesus 
— Ruins  of  the  Stadium,  Odeon,  and  Great  Theater — Temple  of  Diana — In- 
cidents in  Paul's  Life  Connected  with  Ephesus — Legend  of  the  Seven  Sleep- 
ers    504-5 14 

CHAPTER  LXII. 
Athens. 

The  Piraeus — Tomb  of  Themistocles — Modern  History — The  Olympieum  and 
Stadium — Theater  of  Dionysus — Odeum — Propylaea — Parthenon — View  from 
the  Acropolis — Mars'  Hill — Hill  of  the  Pnyx — Institutions  of  Athens — Mount 
Lykabettos 515-523 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  LXIII. 
Corinth. 

Em  route — Situation  and  Importance — History — The  Modern  Town — Ruins  at  Old 
Corinth — Kraneion,  the  Home  of  Diogenes — Prospect  from  Aero-Corinth — 
Characteristics  of  the  Greek  People 524-530 

CHAPTER  LXIV. 
Constantinople. 

Salonica — Mount  Athos — The  Dardanelles — Beauty  of  Constantinople  Seen  from 
the  Sea  of  Marmora — The  Golden  Horn — Constantinople  Made  up  of  Three 
Dissimilar  Cities — Disenchantment — Dr.  Long — The  Seraglio — Imperial  Gate 
—Santa  Sophia 53!-543 

CHAPTER  LXV. 
Constantinople,— (Continued.) 

The  Sultan's  Forty-seventh  Birthday— The  Floating  Bridge— Along  the  Shore  of 
the  Bosporus  to  the  Black  Sea — Ships  and  Boats — The  Armenians — Head  of 
the  Greek  Church — Support  of  Mosques — Muezzin — Philanthropies  of  the 
Mosque  of  Suliman — Spinning  Dervishes — Robert  College 544-555 

CHAPTER  LXVI. 
Constantinople.  —(Concluded.) 

Turkish  Burying  Grounds  of  Scutari — English  Cemetery  and  Florence  Nightingale's 
Hospital — American  Bible  House — Portraits  of  the  Sultans — Rise  and  Fall  of 
the  Janizaries — The  Turk — Column  of  the  Three  Serpents — Fountains — Cen- 
sorship of  the  Press — A  Translator  Perforce — The  Sultan  and  Laborer. 

556-566 

CHAPTER  LXVII. 

Flight  through  Eastern  Roumelia,  Bulgaria,  Servia,  Hungary,  and 
Vienna,  to  Paris  and  New  York. 

Adrianople — Philippopolis — Government  of  Eastern  Roumelia — Convention  of 
Protestant  Mission  Workers — Sofia — Bulgarian  Church — Picturesque  Costumes 
— Buda-Pesth — The  National  Museum — Vienna — Emperor  Franz  Josef- 
Paris  Exposition 567-573 

INDEX 575 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Dahabeah  on  the  Nile Frontispiece 

PMB 

Characteristic  View  of  Lourdes 5 

High  Altar  in  the  Cathedral  of  Burgos 15 

Exterior  View  of  the  Cross  of  Cathedral  of  Burgos 17 

La  Plaza  Major 21 

Facsimile  of  the  Sandal  of  the  Holy  Virgin 27 

Street  of  St.  Thomas  in  Toledo 30 

The  Escorial 31 

Cathedral  of  Toledo 37 

Vista  of  Interior  of  Cathedral  of  Cordova 41 

Cathedral  of  Seville. . , 47 

Temple  of  the  East  of  the  Court  of  Lions 53 

Court  of  the  Myrtles 56 

Granada  and  the  Alhambra 59 

Gypsy  Quarters  in  Granada 61 

Preliminary  Skirmishes  in  a  Bullfight 75 

Tangier 83 

Moorish  Village 87 

Snake  Charmer 90 

Moors  on  a  Journey 95 

Gibraltar 102 

Defenses  of  Gibraltar 113 

Scene  in  Oran 117 

Moorish  Woman  in  Street  Costume 123 

Kabyle  Family  on  a  Journey 131 

Cathedral  of  Milan 147 

Interior  of  Cathedral 151 

Monument  of  Leonardo  da  Vinci 155 

Regatta  on  Grand  Canal 159 

Bridge  of  Sighs 163 

Duomo  of  Florence 168 

Gate  of  St.  Paul 175 

Roman  Forum 1 79 

Murillo's  Sacred  Family 183 

Raphael's  Sacred  Family 185 

Vesuvius  and  Pompeii 194 

Entrance  to  Pyramid 223 

The  Sphinx 233 


xviii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PiOl 

Step  Pyramid  of  Sakkara 245 

Tombs  of  Beni-Hassan 253 

Cemetery  at  Asyoot 259 

Cleopatra— Temple  of  Denderah 269 

Shadoof 271 

Temple  of  Karnak 281 

View  of  Temple  of  Kameses  II 285 

Carvings  on  the  Kameseum 289 

Statues  of  Memnon 295 

Island  of  Philas 307 

Nubians 313 

Howling  Dervish 327 

Jaffa  (Joppa) 339 

Mizpah 351 

Jaffa  Gate 353 

Valley  of  Hinnom 359 

The  Brook  Kidron 363 

Mount  of  Olives 367 

View  of  Jerusalem  from  Mount  of  Olives 371 

The  Golden  Gate 375 

Mosque  of  Omar 379 

Wailing  Place  of  the  Jews 383 

Chapel  of  the  Scourging 387 

Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher 391 

Interior  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher 393 

Convent  of  Mar  Saba, 401 

The  Dead  Sea 407 

The  Jordan 411 

Bethany 415 

Tower  of  David 423 

Mount  Tabor 447 

Nazareth 452 

Cana 459 

Tiberias,  Sea  of  Galilee 463 

Capernaum 469 

Mount  Hermon 477 

Damascus  from  Cemetery 481 

Court  of  the  Great  Mosque 485 

Beirut 493 

Isle  of  Patmos 501 

Athens 517 

Ruins  of  Temple  at  Aero-Corinth 525 

Constantinople  and  the  Golden  Horn 533 

Mosque  of  Santa  Sophia 541 

Bosporus  and  Castle  of  Asia 545 

Dervishes 551 

Buda-Pesth 569 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS, 


CHAPTER  I. 
From  New  York  to  the  Frontier  of  Spain. 

To  London — In  Paris — Anniversary  of  the  Coup  d'etat — Glimpse  of  Bor- 
deaux— The  Grotto  of  Lourdes — Pau  and  the  Pyrenees — Bayonne  and 
Biarritz. 

ACCOMPANIED  by  a  member  of  the  senior  class  in  Amherst 
College,  whom  my  proposed  outline  of  travel  had  allured 
from  his  studies  at  the  expense  of  delaying  his  graduation,  at 
6:30  on  Wednesday  morning,  November  21,  1888,  I  sailed  for 
Liverpool,  arriving  on  the  seventh  day.  I  contrast  that  flight 
with  my  first  voyage  to  the  same  port  early  in  1863,  which  was 
fourteen  days  in  length,  and  advertised  in  the  English  papers 
as  a  remarkably  quick  passage. 

Five  hours  after  our  arrival  in  Liverpool  we  were  in  Lon- 
don, which  was  enveloped  in  a  dense  fog  during  the  forty- 
eight  hours  of  our  stay.  The  business  which  called  us  there 
having  been  transacted,  we  hastened  to  Paris  by  way  of  Folke- 
stone and  Boulogne.  How  charming  kent  looked  as  we  rode 
through!  The  trees  not  yet  denuded  of  leaves,  the  farmers 
plowing,  the  sheep  and  cattle  on  the  green  hillsides  made  a  true 
English  pastoral  scene. 

The  British  Channel,  generally  vicious,  was  smooth  as  "a 
painted  ocean."  The  walk  about  Paris  on  Saturday  evening 
showed  the  same  smiling,  gossiping,  pleasure  loving,  flip- 
pant city  as  of  yore.  Sunday  was  bright,  clear,  and  the  air 
crisp  as  a  New  England  October  day,  yet  it  was  a  time  of 
apprehension  to  the  citizens,  the  thirty-seventh  anniversary 
of  the  coup  d'etat.  A  procession  took  place  under  the  man- 
agement of  the  radical  municipal  council  of  Paris,  ostensibh 
2 


2  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

to  strew  flowers  on  the  tomb  of  Alphonse  Baudin,  a  deputy  who 
was  shot  down  upon  the  barricades  on  the  day  when  Louis 
Napoleon  transformed  the  Republic  into  an  Empire. 

The  procession,  which  was  more  than  two  miles  in  length, 
occupied  two  hours  in  passing  a  given  point,  and  a  chain  of 
police  kept  back  the  crowds  estimated  at  a  half  million,  dis- 
tributed along  the  route.  Those  who  were  marching  did  so, 
for  the  most  part,  in  absolute  silence.  There  were  no  arms; 
there  was  no  instrumental  music,  though  the  Marseillaise  hymn 
was  frequently  sung  with  spirit.  Occasionally  there  was  rail- 
lery between  the  crowds  and  those  in  the  parade,  and  cries 
were  heard  of  "Vive  Boulanger!"  and  the  counter  cries  of 
"A  bas  Boulanger!" 

None  of  those  terrible  men  with  blue  blouses,  nor  of  the 
"unwashed"  sans  culottes,  who  have  figured  in  mobs,  took 
part  in  this  procession.  The  only  hostile  demonstrations 
were  incited  by  the  raising  of  a  socialistic  red  flag.  For  a 
moment  the  uproar  was  tremendous,  the  cries  incoherent 
and  furious,  the  attitudes  menacing;  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren fled  like  sheep;  but  the  police  seized  the  flag  and  an  ob- 
noxious placard,  and  the  tumult  subsided. 

In  the  town  where  I  was  reared  lived  a  retired  sea  cap- 
tain who  told  me  of  some  of  his  adventures  at  Bordeaux, 
and  from  then  until  I  visited  it  the  name  has  had  a  witching 
interest  for  me.  I  found  a  city  with  a  quarter  of  a  million 
of  population,  connected  by  water  with  both  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  the  Atlantic,;  its  streets  adorned  with  noble  build- 
ings; its  commerce  second  in  volume  in  France,  sustaining 
the  closest  commercial  relations  to  the  United  States,  and 
having  a  romantic  history. 

Its  wines  have  made  it  famous.  A  writer  divides  them 
into  five  classes  as  to  quality.  Half  of  the  best  goes  to 
England;  Paris  takes  a  second,  third,  and  fourth  rate,  witfe 
a  small  amount  of  the  best;  Russia,  considerable  of  the  best; 
Holland,  the  second  and  third;  and  the  United  States,  the 
third,  fourth,  and  fifth,  with  a  limited  quantity  of  the  best. 

When  Benjamin  Franklin  went  from  the  United  States  to 
represent  the  Colonies  struggling  for  freedom,  the  sailing 
vessel  landed  him  in  Bordeaux,  suggesting  one  of  the  most 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  THE  FRONTIER  OF  SPAIN.          3 

important  events  in  the  history  of  this  country,  for  the 
powerful  intervention  of  France  in  its  behalf  depended  much 
upon  the  influence  of  Franklin.  One  of  the  striking  spec- 
tacles in  Bordeaux  is  the  miles  upon,  miles  of  shipping,  dis- 
playing every  flag  in  the  civilized  world. 

From  a  commercial  city  to  the  chief  modern  seat  of  alleged 
miraculous  powers  in  western  Europe,  is  indeed  a  transition, 
but  we  experienced  it  after  traveling  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
seven  miles  to  Lourdes.  For  fifty  miles  after  leaving  Bor- 
deaux one  could  easily  have  imagined  himself  journeying  in 
North  Carolina,  for  the  eye  could  see  nothing  but  pines,  inter- 
spersed with  cottages  and  cultivated  grounds.  Such  scenery 
is  monotonous  and  desolate  on  a  cloudy  day;  but  when  sun- 
light illumines  earth  and  sky,  and  the  warm  breath  of  the  pines 
finds  its  way  to  the  face  of  the  traveler,  if  not  diversified,  it  is 
far  from  dull. 

Gradually  the  face  of  the  country  became  more  hilly  when, 
surmounting  green  valleys  upon  whose  sides  sheep  and  cattle 
were  grazing,  arose  suddenly  above  the  horizon  the  long  line 
of  the  Pyrenees,  snow-clad  and  resplendent  in  the  full  flood 
of  sunlight,  with  here  and  there  a  fleecy  cloud  resting  upon 
their  loftiest  peaks.  A  passenger  in  our  compartment,  a  med- 
ical professor  in  the  University  of  Paris,  as  the  wonderful  pan- 
orama greeted  us,  exclaimed:  "This  is  my  country!  I  was 
born  in  the  Hautes-Pyrenees." 

Lourdes  is  in  the  heart  of  the  Pyrenees,  surrounded  by 
mountains,  the  highest  of  which  glisten  by  day  like  ice 
palaces,  are  transformed  at  sunset  into  burnished  pyramids 
of  gold,  and  into  huge  lamps  of  silver  when  the  moonlight 
whitens  them.  From  a  hundred  elevations  in  and  around 
the  valley,  varying  in  height  from  three  hundred  to  three 
thousand  feet,  views  may  be  had,  any  one  of  which,  were  it 
not  for  the  wealth  of  splendor  lavished  upon  the  whole  region 
of  the  Pyrenees,  would  make  the  place  attractive  to  lovers  of 
the  beautiful,  and  a  magnet  even  to  those  who  worship  the 
sublime.  From  some  of  these  heights  I  beheld  landscapes 
whose  aspect  could  be  so  changed  as  to  challenge  recognition 
by  a  difference  of  not  more  than  fifty  yards  in  the  point  of 
view.  We  saw  remains  of  walls  built  by  the  Romans,  and 


4  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

visited  a  ruined  castle  which  withstood  a  protracted  seige  in 
the  time  of  Charlemagne. 

Till  about  thirty  years  ago  Lourdes  had  scarcely  been  heard 
of;  but  in  the  year  1858,  eighteen  times  between  February 
and  July,  the  Holy  Virgin,  it  is  alleged,  appeared  in  a  grotto, 
at  the  foot  of  a  rock,  to  a  little  peasant  girl  by  the  name  of 
Bernadette  Soubirous.  The  child  was  twelve  years  old,  and 
her  business  that  of  feeding  hogs.  The  substance  of  what  it 
is  claimed  was  said  to  her  is:  "I  do  not  promise  to  make  you 
happy  in  this  world,  but  in  the  other.  I  desire  that  many  people 
shall  come  here.  You  shall  pray  for  sinners.  You  shall  kiss 
the  ground  for  sinners.  Penitence!  Penitence!  Penitence! 
Go,  tell  the  prfests  that  a  chapel  must  be  built  here.  I  de- 
sire that  pilgrims  may  come  here  in  procession.  Go  and  drink 
of  the  fountain,  and  bathe  there.  You  shall  eat  of  the  grass 
which  is  near  it.  I  am  the  Immaculate  Conception." 

No  one  except  Bernadette  could  see  the  vision,  but  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  visited  the  grotto  during  the  six 
months  after  the  first  of  the  visions.  When  subsequent 
trances  occurred,  multitudes  of  these  were  present  watching 
the  child,  whose  face,  when  she  said  the  Virgin  appeared, 
"seemed  to  be  glorified  by  a  holy  light  and  beauty  entirely 
unnoticeable  at  other  times,  and  which  continued  till  the 
vision  fled."  To  prove  her  identity,  the  Virgin  caused  a 
spring  of  water  to  burst  from  the  earth.  It  is  certain  that  a 
spring,  previously  unnoticed,  exists.  Cures  followed  the  drink- 
ing of  the  water  and  bathing  in  it,  and  such  crowds  flocked 
to  the  place  that  the  authorities,  not  believing  in  the  reality 
of  the  visions  or  of  the  cures,  forbade  persons  to  approach  the 
grotto,  and  would  not  allow  votive  offerings  placed  in  the 
church.  But  the  people  continued  to  come,  the  bishop  of  the 
diocese  of  Tarbes  encouraging  them. 

Various  medical  men  and  other  prominent  citizens  certified 
to  the  genuineness  of  the  miracle.  Finally  Pope  Pius  IX 
was  persuaded  to  sanction  the  opinions  of  the  bishop.  Rev- 
enues flowed  to  the  church,  the  town  grew  rapidly,  hotels  and 
pensions  were  called  for  to  accommodate  the  pilgrims,  thirty 
or  forty  thousand  sometimes  arriving  in  one  day.  A  hand- 
some church  and  many  other  buildings  have  been  constructed. 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  THE  FRONTIER  OF  SPAIN.          7 

a  square  laid  out,  an  image  erected  representing  the  Virgin 
as  she  appeared  to  the  girl,  and  roads  cut  through  the  hills 
and  rocks.  We  found  the  church  filled  with  offerings  from 
those  helped  or  cured,  or  whose  friends  had  been  benefited. 
The  grotto,  which  was  formerly  called  the  Grotte  de  Massa- 
vielle,  is  known  as  the  Grotte  de  la  Vierge  (the  Virgin). 

Kneeling  before  the  image  of  the  Virgin  were  many  pilgrims 
drinking  the  water,  bottling  and  carrying  it  away,  and  some, 
both  men  and  women,  with  outstretched  arms,  praying  with 
intense  earnestness.  The  town  contains  the  ordinary  propor- 
tion of  cripples,  lunatics,  sick  children,  and  more  than  the 
average  number  of  persistent  beggars. 

As  we  were  dining  in  the  hotel  a  nun  with  attractive  man- 
ners advanced  to  the  table  and  inquired  if  we  spoke  English. 
As  I  was  responding  in  the  affirmative  she  gave  us  to  under- 
stand that  she  could  not  speak  a  word  of  English,  and  began 
by  signs  to  beseech  us  for  money  to  assist  in  building  a 
hospital  to  take  care  of  poor  pilgrims,  aged  and  abandoned, 
and  the  sick  who  were  brought  there  to  drink  and  wash 
themselves  in  the  miraculous  fountains.  She  presented  a 
paper  stating  that  no  matter  how  little  we  might  bestow  our 
names  would  be  inscribed  in  a  special  register;  that  if  we 
gave  a  thousand  francs  or  more  our  names,  with  a  title  of 
"  Founder,"  should  be  engraved  in  letters  of  gold  on  a  marble 
tablet;  five  hundred  francs  would  give  us  the  title  of  "Bene- 
factor," a  mass  would  be  said  once  a  month  in  perpetuity, 
and  the  poor  pray  every  day  for  us,  and  especially  would  the 
Blessed  Virgin  call  down  upon  us  the  choicest  celestial  bless- 
ings, and  God  would  give  it  back  to  us  a  hundredfold. 

We  drank  of  the  water  at  the  fountain,  but  were  not  a  whit 
the  better  nor  any  the  worse.  It  was  pure  and  good,  and  we 
brought  away  a  bottle  of  it. 

Only  nine  miles  from  Lourdes  is  Betharram.  Its  church 
stands  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  and  upon  the  slope  are  thirty- 
two  praying  places,  erected  of  granite,  and  from  the  bottom 
to  the  top  of  the  long  declivity  thirty  years  ago  crowds  of 
pilgrims  climbed,  many  upon  their  knees,  pausing  for  prayer 
at  each  place.  Numerous  cures  were  reported,  but  now 
Lourdes  flourishes  and  Bettharam  is  almost  deserted. 


8  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

It  is  so  all  over  Europe  under  Greek,  Roman,  Armenian, 
and  Mohammedan  forms.  The  fame  of  supernatural  cures 
arises,  has  its  brief  day,  and  a  new  locality  or  "  Home  "  takes 
its  turn.  Similar  traditions,  connecting  alleged  supernatural 
healings  with  places,  living  persons,  signs,  and  relics,  have  a 
strong  foothold  in  Protestantism. 

From  Lourdes  to  Pau  is  but  twenty-four  miles,  and  the  rail- 
way runs  through  the  valley  of  the  Gave,  making  a  descent  of 
several  hundred  feet  before  this  fashionable  resort  is  reached. 
I  cannot  conceive  a  more  beautiful  region  for  a  pedestrian  or 
equestrian  tour.  The  successive  villages  with  their  churches, 
the  diversified  hill  scenery,  with  occasional  mountain  views, 
the  Gave  meandering  like  a  silver  thread,  and  occasionally 
descending  rapidly  in  short  cataracts,  form  a  charming  picture. 

Pau  is  a  watering  place,  much  affected  by  English  and 
Americans.  From  the  river  rises  sharply  the  hill  on  which  the 
hotels  and  the  city  are  situated,  being  more  than  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  in  perpendicular  height.  The  square  is  reached 
by  a  winding  road.  From  the  chief  hotels,  Gassion  and  De 
France,  the  western  Pyrenees  for  a  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty 
miles  are  in  full  view.  In  the  center  stand  the  Pic  du  Midi 
de  Bigorre  in  the  east,  and  the  Pic  du  Midi  d'Ossau  in  the 
west.  This  splendid  view  is  by  some  compared  to  that  from 
the  streets  of  Bern ;  it  does  not  equal  it  in  grandeur,  for  the 
Pyrenees  are  not  sufficiently  high  and  are  too  near  to  rival 
the  view  of  the  Bernese  Oberland. 

The  castle,  celebrated  as  the  birthplace  of  Henri  of  Navarre, 
is  an  interesting  link  between  ancient  and  modern  French 
history.  John  Calvin,  by  order  of  Margaret  of  Valois,  was  con- 
fined in  one  of  the  towers,  five  of  which  remain.  Had  not 
Calvin  been  persecuted  in  France,  probably  he  would  not  have 
found  his  way  to  Geneva,  and  the  larger  part  of  his  history 
might  not  have  been  written.  Bernadotte,  King  of  Sweden, 
was  born  in  Pau,  the  son  of  a  saddler;  he  went  away  as  a 
drummer  boy.  In  the  castle  are  shown  fine  specimens  of 
Swedish  porphyry  which  he  sent  while  king. 

Pau  is  a  delightful  place  in  the  winter  for  the  well  and  those 
not  much  indisposed,  but  too  cold  and  changeable  for  confirmed 
invalids. 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  THE  FRONTIER  OF  SPAIN".    9 

The  situation  and  fortifications  of  Bayonne  have  always  made 
it  a  place  of  more  than  local  interest.  It  is  the  last  important 
town  in  France,  and  in  the  direct  route  to  Spain.  The  Adour 
and  Nive  come  together  at  this  point,  three  miles  from  the 
place  where  they  fall  into  the  Bay  of  Biscay.  They  divide  the 
town  into  three  parts,  and,  with  the  three  bridges,  form  not 
only  an  excellent  harbor,  but  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  city. 

After  visiting  the  small  but  symmetrical  cathedral,  I  ex- 
plored the  fortifications,  having  a  better  opportunity  for  form- 
ing an  idea  of  their  dimensions  than  I  desired,  as  I  lost  my  way 
about  sundown  and  walked  two  miles  in  the  wrong  direction. 

The  bayonet,  now  used  in  every  land,  takes  its  name  from 
Bayonne,  owing  to  a  circumstance  which  occurred  in  1523.  A 
Basque  regiment,  in  an  engagement  with  the  Spaniards,  having 
used  up  their  powder,  fastened  their  knives  upon  the  ends  of 
their  muskets  and  made  a  successful  charge  upon  the  enemy. 

It  was  here  that  Catherine  de'  Medici  and  the  Duke  of  Alva 
planned  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  but  when  the  order 
was  issued  by  Charles  IX,  Orthez,  the  governor  of  Bayonne, 
refused  to  execute  it.  Pau,  where  he  was  born,  boasts  of  the 
fact  to  this  day. 

Five  miles  from  Bayonne  is  Biarritz,  which  was  the  perfec- 
tion of  beauty  on  the  two  days  that  we  were  there.  It  is  upon 
the  shore  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  whose  waters  were  smooth  as 
glass,  clear  as  crystal,  and  bright  as  sunrise.  The  view  was 
limited  on  the  one  side  by  a  long  line  of  mountains,  fading 
away  in  the  blue  ether  in  which  blended  sea  and  sky  enveloped 
them.  The  guide  directed  our  eyes  to  a  lofty  summit,  and 
said,  "  France,"  and  pointing  to  the  mountains  beyond  it,  said, 
"  Espagne."  Standing  among  the  ruins  of  an  old  fort  on  the 
promontory  of  Atalye,  we  saw  the  bay,  bounded  on  the  right 
by  Cape  St.  Martin,  and  on  the  left  by  the  coast  of  Spain. 

Biarritz  has  become  a  fashionable  resort;  the  hotels  are 
among  the  finest  in  France.  The  Empress  Eugenie  loved  the 
place,  having  been  in  the  habit  of  visiting  it  when  a  young  girl. 
Her  imperial  husband  and  herself  occupied  an  unpretending 
brick  chateau  there,  now  the  only  "lion  "of  the  place.  I 
should  advise  every  American,  who  is  an  enthusiastic  lover  of 
natural  scenery  and  traveling  for  pleasure,  to  visit  Biarritz. 


10  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  II. 
"I  Take  my  Journey  into  Spain." 

Entering  Spain — Scenes  on  the  Frontier — San  Sebastian — Protestant  Mis- 
sions— The  Infant  King — Reminiscences  of  Lafayette — Burgos — Carthu- 
sian Monastery — Tombs  of  the  Parents  of  Queen  Isabella — The  Convent — 
Legends  of  the  Cid — The  Cathedral  and  Castle. 

SPAIN!  ancient,  proud,  fiery;  pitiless  in  victory,  revengeful 
in  defeat;  romantic,  fanatical,  converting  into  an  opiate  recol- 
lections of  past  glory ;  though  swept  within  a  few  years  by  gusts 
of  liberal  sentiment,  still  the  stronghold  of  ecclesiastical  intol- 
erance, cruelty,  and  superstition;  home  of  orators,  lovers,  and 
beautiful  women;  paradise  of  priests,  in  strange  contrast  with 
a  crushed  and  ignorant  peasantry,  aristocracy  of  nobles  and 
beggars !  Spain !  offspring  of  Asia,  mother  of  America,  twin 
sister  of  Africa,  gives  rise  to  more  problems  and  sets  the  fancy 
more  free  than  any  other  domain  in  Europe  except  Russia. 

These  questions  and  fancies  had  fermented  in  my  brain  for 
years.  Washington  Irving  planted  the  germs  and  William  H. 
Prescott  watered  them,  and  when  I  crossed  the  frontier  Don 
Quixote  stepped  forward  to  meet  me.  Sancho  Panza  I  found 
not,  for,  as  a  Spaniard  of  refinement  and  intelligence  in- 
formed me,  the  whole  people  are  Don  Quixotes,  but  not  more 
than  one  or  two  such  practical,  sensible,  and  simple-hearted 
creatures  can  be  found  as  the  man  who  said  "Blessings  on  him 
who  invented  sleep." 

We  entered  the  country  through  the  Spanish  Basque  prov- 
inces. After  leaving  Hendaye,  we  crossed  the  Bidassoa  which 
separates  France  and  Spain. 

At  Irun,  the  first  town  in  Spain,  we  were  detained  two  hours 
for  the  customhouse  inspection.  Americans,  with  their  pro- 
tective tariff,  should  be  the  last  to  find  fault  with  the  examina- 
tions of  other  countries. 

Our  baggage  was  promptly  dispatched,  without  any  disposi- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  Spanish  officer  to  annoy  us.  The  time  was 


"I  TAKE  MY  JOURNEY  INTO  SPAIN."  n 

improved  by  enjoying  the  beautiful  scenery,  and  observing 
some  lay  brothers  of  a  monastery,  with  their  sandals  and 
stockingless  feet,  gray  suits,  heavy  beards,  and  characteristic 
Spanish  costumes.  Caballeros  slowly  pacing  the  station  in 
their  highly  ornamented  cloaks,  the  officers  in  uniform,  and  a 
hundred  things  besides,  showed  that  we  were  in  a  country  of 
peculiar  customs  and  speech. 

San  Sebastian,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Guipuzcoa,  was 
the  first  important  place  visited.  Established  at  the  Hotel 
de  Londres  (where  they  speak  little  or  no  English),  we  called 
upon  the  Rev.  William  H.  Gulick,  who  is  the  son  of  a  missionary 
and  born  in  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Mrs.  Gulick  is  a  daughter 
of  Dr.  Gordon,  long  the  treasurer  of  the  American  Board. 

The  town  is  built  on  an  isthmus  between  two  bays  and  is  at 
the  foot  of  Monte  Orgullo.  The  sun  being  still  high,  Mr. 
Gulick  proposed  a  visit  to  the  castle.  En  route  thereto  we 
saw  a  circular  edifice,  twenty-five  feet  in  height  and  several 
hundred  in  diameter,  large  enough  to  hold  three  or  four 
thousand  persons.  It  was  a  bull  ring,  as  important  in  the  es- 
timation of  the  people  as  the  cathedral,  the  theater,  or  the 
municipal  building.  After  passing  it  we  began  the  ascent  of 
the  mountain  upon  which  stands  the  castle  La  Mota. 

We  could  see  the  Spanish  and  French  Pyrenees  and  old  forts 
at  remote  points  along  the  horizon;  villages  dimly  visible  in 
ravines,  or  sparkling  in  the  sunlight  upon  the  hilltops,  while 
before  us  was  the  Bay  of  Biscay. 

As  an  expositor  of  the  history  of  the  castle  and  the  sieges  it 
has  sustained,  Mr.  Gulick  was  to  standard  histories  what  an 
eloquent  teacher  is  to  text-books.  He  conducted  us  to  the 
spot  where,  in  1813,  the  British  forces,  under  the  Duke  of 
Wellington,  assaulted  the  city,  which  was  garrisoned  by  three 
thousand  French  veterans,  under  General  Rey.  They  suc- 
ceeded in  taking  the  main  works  and  town,  but  the  French 
intrenched  themselves  strongly  in  the  upper  citadel,  where 
they  remained  until  August  31,  when  the  English  soldiers 
climbed  over  the  perpendicular  wall  and  forced  a  surrender. 
Quebec  and  Lookout  Mountain  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic 
furnish  analogies.  A  number  of  the  British  officers  are  buried 
on  the  hillside. 


12  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  Bay  of  Biscay  is  in  the  eye  of  every  storm,  and  the 
waves  as  they  beat  against  the  rocks  rise  to  a  great  height.  A 
remarkable  phenomenon  frequently  occurs  whereby  vessels  are 
saved  from  wreck.  As  they  are  driven  in  from  the  sea,  just 
when  their  condition  seems  hopeless,  the  amount  of  water  which 
has  been  accumulated  in  the  bay  by  the  wind  commences,  by  the 
force  of  gravity,  to  roll  backward,  so  that  they  are  caught  at  a 
point  a  few  miles  from  shore,  beat  up  and  down  for  days,  and 
often  escape  otherwise  inevitable  destruction. 

The  evening  was  occupied  in  a  visit  to  the  schools  of  the 
American  Board,  where  we  witnessed  the  calisthenic  exercises 
and  met  the  teachers.  Here  is  a  girls'  school  named  the 
"North  American  College."  Forty  handsomer,  healthier, 
more  intelligent  girls  of  from  ten  to  sixteen  years  of  age  we 
never  saw.  No  direct  effort  is  made  in  the  school  to  proselyte 
Catholic  children  from  their  religion,  but  all  are  required  to 
participate  in  the  Protestant  services.  The  germs  of  a  full 
college  are  here.  The  teachers  are  accomplished,  one  a  grad- 
uate of  Mount  Holyoke;  another,  a  young  Italian  lady,  a 
"phenomenal  "  linguist. 

The  next  day  we  drove  to  Hernani,  an  ancient  and  pictur- 
esque Basque  town,  in  which  houses  yet  stand  with  the  coats 
of  arms  undefaced,  which  were  once  inhabited  by  the  nobility 
but  are  now  occupied  by  the  common  people.  Here  may  be 
seen  the  brave  and  independent  Basques,  a  remnant  of  the 
aboriginal  Iberians,  who  retain  their  peculiarities  of  custom  and 
manner,  and  their  language,  which  they  call  Euscara.  We  saw 
the  boys  play  one  of  the  Basque  games,  in  which  a  long  glove 
of  peculiar  shape  and  materials  is  used  in  place  of  a  bat, 
and  the  ball  is  driven  forcibly  against  a  wall,  being  caught 
on  the  rebound. 

The  country  residence  of  the  Queen  of  Spain,  who  is  much 
beloved  by  the  citizens  of  San  Sebastian,  is  situated  on  the 
road  taken  for  this  drive.  The  little  king  was  then  two  years 
old.  The  queen  regent  drives  without  display,  but  the  king 
appears  in  state,  with  outriders  and  all  the  pageantry  of  royal 
dignity.  San  Sebastian  is  now  the  most  fashionable  bathing 
resort  in  Spain,  much  frequented  by  aristocratic  "Madrid- 
lenians,"  whose  costly  residences  adorn  the  vicinity. 


"I  TAKE  MY  JOURNEY  INTO  SPAIN."  13 

From  Hernani  we  drove  to  Pasajes,  the  most  curious  rock- 
locked  harbor  on  the  coast  of  Europe.  On  entering  from  the 
sea  at  high  water,  the  harbor  appears  more  like  a  lake  than 
a  part  of  the  bay.  The  rocks,  barren  of  earth  and  grass,  give 
to  some  extent  the  effect  of  art.  In  this  harbor  entire  fleets 
have  been  sheltered.  At  present  it  is  occupied  chiefly  by  fish- 
ermen. The  peasants  were  making  hempen  shoes,  and 
women  were  congregated  about  an  old,  red-faced  dame,  en- 
gaged in  dissecting  the  body  of  that  universal  friend  and  fol- 
lower of  mankind — the  hog,  whose  life  is  crowned  by  ''death 
for  his  country." 

Here  Lafayette  embarked  for  America  to  give  his  name, 
fame,  fortune,  and  personal  services  to  the  country  and  to 
Washington,  who  said:  "It  was  a  noble  deed  in  a  noble  cause, 
and  a  star  of  hope  in  the  darkest  hour. " 

The  journey  of  half  a  day  from  the  frontier  of  Spain  to  Bur- 
gos, the  ancient  capital  of  Castile  and  Leon,  revealed  a  pano- 
rama of  wild  mountain  scenery  and  a  corresponding  triumph 
of  engineering.  The  road  ascends  three  thousand  feet.  A 
hundred  mountains  were  to  be  tunneled,  climbed,  or  circled. 
Five,  seven,  nine,  and,  in  one  instance,  fourteen  tunnels  were 
passed  between  two  stations.  Great  granite  masses,  in  sharp 
contrast  with  brown  hills,  loftier  peaks  covered  with  snow, 
with  the  sun  set  or  shining  as  the  eye  rested  upon  one  or 
another  summit,  made  a  scene  of  splendid  confusion. 

Long  after  dark  we  reached  the  dimly  lighted  station  of 
Burgos.  Damp  was  the  night;  chilling  to  body  and  soul  the 
gloom;  depressing  the  mephitic  vapors.  The  Spanish  guests 
in  the  hotel  were  happy;  they  smoked  and  drank  incessantly, 
and  probably  smelled  nothing  but  their  tobacco  and  liquors. 
The  city  is  a  thousand  years  old,  and  "looks  every  day  of  it." 
The  next  day  was  stormy,  but  having  procured  a  carriage 
drawn  by  a  pair  of  powerful  mules,  we  drove  two  and  a  half 
miles  along  the  river  Arlanzon  to  the  Cartuja  de  Miraflores,  a 
monastery  of  the  Carthusian  order,  built  by  Queen  Isabella  as 
a  monument  to  her  parents.  As  Americans  we  were  quite 
willing  to  pay  a  tribute  to  her  ancestry. 

The  sepulcher  is  a  noble  specimen  of  tomb  sculpture,  oc- 
tagonal, with  lions  at  the  corners,  and  on  the  sides  are  illustra- 


i4  TRAVEL^  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

tions  from  the  New  Testament.  Upon  the  top,  in  a  recumbent 
posture,  are  the  statues  of  Don  Juan  II  and  his  wife,  Isabella 
of  Portugal,  in  a  recess  Alphonso,  who  died  in  1470,  aged 
sixteen,  and  without  whose  death  Isabella  never  could  have 
been  queen,  is  represented  kneeling  amid  sculptured  foliage. 

The  monks  performed  service  after  having,  with  many  apolo- 
gies, explained  to  an  English  lady  that  it  was  against  the  rules 
of  the  order  for  a  woman  to  be  present.  We  remained,  but 
envied  the  woman  who  was  not  permitted  to  stay,  for  a  more 
melancholy  piece  of  droning  never  fell  upon  human  ears. 

Emerging  from  this  monastery,  where  fifteen  or  twenty 
monks  occupy  accommodations  originally  provided  for  two 
hundred,  living  upon  gifts  and  pay  for  masses,  we  drove  to 
the  convent  of  Las  Huelgas — "the  pleasure  ground."  It  is  a 
nunnery  of  the  Cistercian  order,  founded  seven  hundred  years 
ago  by  Alfonso  VIII  to  expiate  his  sins  and  to  please  his 
queen,  Eleanor,  a  daughter  of  Henry  II,  of  England.  Here 
various  kings  of  Castile  were  knighted,  and  many  kings  and 
queens  are  buried.  To  this  day  the  nuns  must  belong  to  the 
nobility  and  bring  a  dowry.  We  saw  seven  during  the  per- 
formance of  the  mass.  They  were  in  middle  life,  stout, 
handsome,  tastefully  dressed,  and  in  the  magnificent  carved 
stalls,  presented  a  tableau  vivant  more  beautiful  than  most  of 
the  works  of  art  which  adorn  the  picture  galleries.  The  ladies 
who  had  been  forbidden  to  hear  the  service  by  the  monks  here 
had  their  revenge,  for  the  nave,  chapter  house,  and  roman- 
esque  nuns'  cloister  are  not  accessible  to  men,  though  women, 
duly  introduced,  are  admitted. 

The  bones  of  the  Cid  (pronounced  Thith  by  the  purists  of 
old  Castile),  Don  Rodrigo  Ruy  Diaz  de  Bavar,  the  most 
prominent  hero  of  Spanish  history,  are  shown  in  the  town  hall. 
He  vanquished  the  Moors,  and  was  considered  the  mightiest 
warrior  of  Christianity.  The  Moors  gave  him  the  name  of  the 
Cid  after  he  had  overthrown  five  kings.  The  legends  told  of 
him  are  monstrous;  among  others,  that  after  he  died  a  Jew 
approached  his  corpse,  saying:  "No  one  dared  to  touch  his 
body  while  he  was  living,  I  will  see  what  he  can  do  now;" 
whereupon  the  dead  hand  pulled  the  sword  from  the  scabbard, 
at  which  the  Jew  fainted. 


High  Altar  in  the  Cathedral  of  Burgos. 


"I  TAKE  MY  JOURNEY  INTO  SPAIN."  17 

The  symmetry,  beauty,  and  impressiveness  of  the  Cathedral 
of  Burgos  surpass  description.  Strength  and  delicacy  are  so 
united  that  the  charm  and  fragrance  of  flowers  are  blended 


Exterior  View  of  the  Cross  of  Cathedral  of  Burgos. 

with  the  massiveness  of  a  giant  tree.     Within  it  is  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  long;  the  transept  two  hundred  and  fifty  in 


i8  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

width  and  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  in  height.  The  style 
is  Gothic;  the  side  chapels  and  adjacent  rooms  are  twenty  in 
number,  some  being  as  large  as  ordinary  churches;  the  orna- 
mentation is  diversified  and  exquisite;  the  choir  contains  one 
hundred  and  three  stalls,  carved  in  walnut;  every  chapel  is 
filled  with  paintings,  sculptures,  ornaments.  A  mere  cata- 
logue of  the  statues,  windows,  arabesques,  arches,  sculptured 
tombs  of  princes  and  bishops,  pilasters,  gratings,  angels, 
saints,  bas-reliefs,  niches,  and  wonderful  works  of  art  without 
description  would  require  a  chapter. 

We  ascended  the  lofty  hill  to  the  castle — an  ancient  fortifi- 
cation almost  in  ruins.  From  the  parapets  the  finest  view  of 
the  cathedral  is  obtained.  Upon  the  horizon  are  convents, 
monasteries,  and  other  buildings.  The  more  distant  prospect, 
though  grand,  is  desolate.  In  neither  mountain  nor  hill,  valley 
nor  plain  can  a  tree  be  seen,  except  along  the  paths  to  the 
convents.  Having  entered  without  permission,  we  were  ad- 
vancing to  the  highest  point  of  view  when  a  soldier  ordered 
us  out  of  the  castle.  As  we  were  about  passing  through  the 
gateway  a  tall,  stern-looking  officer  appeared.  I  bowed  and 
said  to  him,  "  Americano."  He  sent  a  subaltern  for  his  cloak, 
put  it  on  with  dignity,  and  said,  "America  Nord?"  To 
which  we  responded,  "New  York."  "  You-would-see-the- 
castle? "  Then  with  the  air  of  Don  Quixote  giving  an  order 
to  Sancho  Panza,  he  waved  his  hand  majestically  toward  the 
interior,  and  we  returned,  none  daring  "to  molest  us,  or  make 
us  afraid." 


THE  SPANISH  CAPITAL.  19 


CHAPTER   III. 
The  Spanish  Capital. 

Location  of  the  Capital — Climate — Puerta  del  Sol — Royal  Palace — Review  of 
Troops — Picture  Gallery — Visit  to  the  Cortes — Spanish  Orators  and  States- 
men— The  Virgin's  Sandal — Protestant  Missions — Spanish  Horsemen. 

MADRID  is  a  city  with  an  independent  character,  though 
resembling  Paris  in  several  features.  It  was  hardly  daylight 
on  a  rainy  morning  when  we  arrived.  The  chill,  the  darkness, 
and  the  streets,  deserted  by  all  except  cabmen  and  venders  of 
milk  and  vegetables,  were  gloomy;  but  a  cup  of  Spanish 
chocolate  and  a  French  roll  made  a  great  difference  in  the 
aspect  of  the  city,  and  while  breakfast  was  preparing  the 
people  had  begun  to  swarm  like  bees  from  their  hives.  The 
crack  of  countless  whips,  cries  of  newsboys,  hurrying  to  and 
fro  of  clerks,  mingling  with  a  ceaseless  procession  of  donkeys, 
carts,  and  coaches,  transformed  the  silent  streets  into  a  battle- 
field of  daily  life. 

A  thousand  years  ago  the  now  treeless  plains  about  Madrid 
were  covered  with  forests.  Like  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  the  inhabitants  improvidently  cut  them  down,  to  the 
injury  of  the  climate  and  of  the  healthfulness  of  the  region. 
The  river  on  which  the  city  is  situated  is  dry  except  during 
short  intervals,  and  the  annual  fall  of  rain  is  but  about  ten 
inches.  Madrid  rests  on  the  roof  of  several  hills,  about 
twenty-five  hundred  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  was  selected 
as  the  capital  because  in  the  very  center  of  Spain.  From  the 
streets  was  a  magnificent  prospect  of  the  Sierra  Guadarrama, 
and  of  the  mountains  of  Toledo;  the  former  were  snow-clad 
from  their  summits  two  thirds  of  the  way  down  to  the  plateau. 

The  climate  of  Madrid  is  reputed  the  worst  in  Europe,  and 
I  can  readily  believe  it.  We  experienced  clear,  cloudy,  and 
rainy  days,  and  each  was  intensely  disagreeable.  Pneumonias, 
spoken  of  as  pulmonics  by  the  people,  are  common  and  ex- 
ceedingly fatal. 


20  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Most  of  the  houses  are  high,  and  are  occupied  in  apartments 
or  flats.  Some  of  the  streets  and  certain  squares  and  prome- 
nades are  handsome.  The  Puerta  del  Sol,  enthusiastically 
praised  by  travelers,  requires  sunlight  and  a  crowd  to  appear 
at  its  best.  At  4  P.  M.  on  a  bright  day  it  is  impossible  to 
conceive  anything  more  animated;  neither  London  nor  New 
York  can  exhibit  such  brightness  of  aspect,  such  hastening 
but  not  hurrying  crowds,  such  sparkling  conversation,  so  con- 
stant an  interchange  of  civilities.  All  the  lines  of  street  rail- 
ways meet  there;  every  business  place  of  importance  is  in  the 
vicinity,  the  large  hotels,  and  some  of  the  leading  public 
buildings. 

The  grand  square  is  the  Plaza  Major.  In  the  center  is  an 
equestrian  statue  of  Philip  III.  The  mob  pulled  it  down  in 
1873,  when  the  red  Republic  reigned,  but  it  has  been  replaced. 
Charles  I,  of  England,  went  down  to  Madrid  to  see  a  bullfight 
given  in  his  honor  by  Philip  III,  and  it  took  place  in  this 
square;  but  while  such  displays  may  only  make  it  contempt- 
ible, the  autos-da-fe  celebrated  there  render  it  infamous. 

El  Prado  at  fashionable  hours  enables  its  visitors  to  see  the 
largest  number.  Spaniards  always  seem  to  be  the  gayest  of 
European  peoples  on  such  occasions. 

The  royal  palace  is  a  truly  royal  residence,  but  stands  in 
such  an  exposed  place  that  in  winter  the  sentinels  are  often 
nearly  frozen.  We  paid  particular  attention  to  the  royal 
chapel,  a  splendid  room,  wonderfully  decorated,  and  contain- 
ing a  valuable  collection  of  ecclesiastical  objects.  In  the 
library  are  many  historical  manuscripts  and  a  prayer  book  said 
to  have  belonged  to  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 

At  the  window  of  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors  we  saw  the  little 
king,  a  happy-looking  child.  Whether  the  monarchy  will  fall 
before  he  comes  of  age  and  ascends  the  throne;  whether  he 
will  ascend  it  and  be  dethroned  as  was  his  grandmother,  the 
still  living  ex-queen  Isabella;  whether  he  will  be  assassinated, 
or  have  a  "long  and  peaceful  reign,"  the  wisest  statesman  can 
forecast  no  more  clearly  than  this  boy. 

As  we  were  leaving  the  palace  the  review  of  the  regiment 
which  was  that  day  to  be  stationed  there  took  place.  The 
average  height  of  the  soldiers  was  apparently  not  more  than 


THE  SPANISH  CAPITAL.  23 

five  feet  seven  inches;  the  officers  were  taller;  the  uniform  was 
new  and  gay;  the  bearing  graceful  and  erect,  though  they  did 
not  keep  step  with  the  accuracy  which  we  have  seen  in  other 
lands.  The  music  to  which  they  marched  was  peculiarly 
melodious  and  rhythmical. 

The  royal  picture  gallery,  the  Museo,  is  the  one  institution 
of  Madrid  whose  contents  successfully  challenge  competition. 
Among  the  Italian  masters,  Correggio,  Bassanno,  Titian,  and 
Raphael  are  represented;  Titian  by  twenty  of  his  works,  and 
Raphael  by  a  considerable  number.  The  Dutch,  French, 
and  German,  and  also  the  Flemish  schools  are  illustrated  by 
their  best  names.  We  recognized  the  familiar  work  of  Philip 
Wouverman,  in  all  of  whose  paintings  the  white  horse  appears. 
In  St.  Petersburg  I  saw  two  of  his  pictures,  considered  as  curi- 
osities because  without  that  symbolic  animal.  But  it  is  in  the 
Spanish  school  that  this  collection,  containing  many  of  the 
masterpieces  of  Murillo,  Velasquez,  and  Alonzo  Cano,  sur- 
passes the  other  galleries  of  Europe. 

We  spent  a  considerable  portion  of  a  day  there,  and  of  the 
Spanish  pictures  those  that  left  the  deepest  impression  upon 
my  eye  and  memory  are:  "An  auto-da-fe,  celebrated  in  the 
Plaza  Major  of  Madrid,  June  30,  1680."  The  king,  with  his 
wife  and  mother,  looks  from  a  balcony;  victims  are  led  before 
him  to  hear  their  sentences;  a  friar  is  preaching  to  those  to 
be  burned,  and  the  grandees  of  Spain  are  spectators;  in  the 
foreground  are  the  asses  on  which  the  doomed  are  taken  to 
the  place  of  execution.  The  other  is  the  figure  of  ^Esop,  which 
some  say  "  looks  more  like  a  shirtless  cobbler  than  a  philos- 
opher;" a  superficial  remark,  for  some  shirtless  cobblers  have 
been  philosophers,  notably  Samuel  Drew,  the  metaphysician. 
Cobblers  in  all  ages  have  furnished  original  and  learned  men, 
noted  as  fine  conversers  as  well  as  clear  thinkers,  and  they 
have  often  been  concerned  in  revolutions. 

On  ordinary  occasions  order  in  the  streets  of  Madrid  is 
noticeably  good.  The  police  force  is  large,  well  organized, 
and  supplemented  by  various  officials  who  add  dignity  and 
force  to  the  public  exhibition  of  authority.  Drunkenness  is 
comparatively  rare,  and  no  cases  of  gross  intemperance  are 
seen  during  the  day.  But  the  capital  is  liable  to  outbreaks 
3 


24  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

difficult  to  be  suppressed  without  bloodshed,  which  the  memory 
of  recent  revolutions  should  make  very  unpopular. 

The  then  recent  ministerial  crisis,  regarded  with  interest 
throughout  the  civilized  world,  was  attributed  chiefly  to  the 
violent  demonstrations  against  Senor  Canovas  on  his  return  to 
Madrid  from  the  south  a  short  time  before,  the  charge  bein-g 
made  that  the  Liberal  government  promoted  the  manifesta- 
tions to  make  impossible  the  return  of  the  Conservatives  to 
power,  and  to  impress  the  queen  with  the  impolicy  of  exhibit- 
ing sympathy  with  them.  The  crisis  was  announced  three 
days  before  we  reached  Madrid.  All  meetings  of  the  Cortes 
were  suspended.  It  seemed  improbable  that  I  should  have 
the  opportunity  of  looking  upon  a  body  famed  throughout  the 
world  for  Ciceronian  eloquence  and  outbursts  of  personal  and 
partisan  feeling. 

E.  H.  Strobel,  Esq.,  Charge  d'Affaires,  and  then  acting 
minister  of  the  United  States,  courteously  gave  me  the  use 
of  the  only  seat  at  his  disposal  in  the  Tribune  Diploma- 
tique, and  promised  to  keep  me  advised  of  the  time  when  the 
crisis  should  be  resolved,  and  a  new  ministry  appointed. 

In  Spain  a  ministerial  crisis  is  not  brought  about  merely  by 
the  defeat  of  the  government  in  the  House  of  Deputies  or 
Commons,  but  occurs  when  any  considerable  number  of  the 
ministry  resign,  or  on  account  of  public  disapprobation,  per- 
sonal incompatibility,  or  for  other  reasons,  it  is  necessary  to 
make  serious  changes.  At  an  early  hour  on  Tuesday  morning 
information  came  that  at  midnight  a  new  ministry  had  been 
formed.  This  meant  that  at  the  regular  hour  that  afternoon 
the  Cortes  would  reassemble. 

Theoretically,  the  government  of  Spain  is  a  limited  mon- 
archy. The  legislative  power  is  in  the  sovereign  and  the 
Cortes,  which  consists  of  a  Senate  and  a  House  of  Represent- 
atives. The  Senado  meets  in  an  edifice  unworthy  of  its 
dignity.  The  Congresso  de  los  Disputandas  (House  of  Com- 
mons, Deputies,  or  Representatives)  convenes  in  a  building 
which  dates  from  1842,  and  was  eight  years  in  construction. 
It  is  handsomely  furnished  and  adorned  with  fine  pictures  by 
noted  artists.  We  had  passed  it  on  several  occasions,  and 
spent  some  time  in  studying  the  bronze  statue  of  Miguel  de 


THE  SPANISH  CAPITAL.  25 

Cervantes.  The  greatest  writer  of  Spain,  and  one  of  the 
greatest  of  all  lands,  wears  the  old  Spanish  costume,  "and 
hides  under  his  cloak  the  arm  mutilated  at  Lepanto,  which  he 
never  did  in  life,  it  being  the  pride  of  his  existence."  The 
adventures  of  Don  Quixote  are  displayed  in  relief  upon  the 
pedestal. 

At  three  o'clock  I  took  the  seat  specified  in  my  credentials. 
By  my  side  sat  the  Russian  minister,  a  son  of  Prince  Gort- 
chakof,  ministers  from  Portugal  and  Germany,  and  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  United  States  of  Colombia.  Every  seat  of 
the  Tribuna  Publica  was  filled,  and  hundreds  were  standing. 
The  Tribuna  Reservada  was  crowded.  The  seats  of  the 
deputies  were  empty.  After  we  had  sat  for  about  forty 
minutes,  officers  in  uniform  entered,  took  places  upon  the 
platform,  and  a  hush  of  expectancy  fell  upon  the  assembly. 
Marcos,  President  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  a  distinguished 
man,  of  florid  face,  sandy  whiskers,  and  short  and  sturdy  in 
figure,  took  the  chair.  The  ministers  entered  and  seated 
themselves  upon  the  bench  named  El  banco  azul,  covered  with 
blue  silk. 

The  deputies  then  filled  the  building,  and  the  floor  was  in- 
stantly crowded  by  senators,  ex-ministers,  and  deputies,  and 
others  admitted  to  the  privileges  of  the  House.  Several  of 
the  ministers  were  of  imposing  appearance,  clad  in  brilliant 
military  uniform.  Three  only  of  eight  or  nine  were  attired  as 
civilians.  The  deputies  were  elegantly  dressed;  many  smoked 
incessantly  and  held  canes.  Senator  Moret,  estimated  inferior 
only  to  Castelar  as  an  orator,  and  distinguished  as  a  man  of 
letters  and  a  diplomat,  had  been  superseded.  Several  of  the 
ministry  had  been  changed  from  one  department  to  another, 
and  others,  new  in  the  government,  introduced. 

A  long  address  from  Senor  Sagasta,  the  prime  minister, 
opened  the  business.  I  looked  with  interest  upon  him,  re- 
membering when  he  was  condemned  to  death,  and  compelled 
to  flee  to  England,  whence  he  returned  after  the  Revolution  to 
assume  the  position  of  Minister  of  the  Interior.  He  set  forth 
the  causes  of  the  crisis,  and  congratulated  the  House  on  the 
formation  of  a  ministry.  As  a  speaker,  he  was  plain,  forcible, 
epigrammatic,  courteous.  Don  Francisco  Silvela,  second  in 


26  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

position  and  repute  as  an  orator  among  the  Conservatives,  re- 
plied.  His  style  was  rhythmical,  highly  rhetorical,  occasion- 
ally epigrammatic.  He  essayed  to  show  that  the  government 
was  responsible  for,  or  at  least  indifferent  to,  the  outrages 
perpetrated  upon  himself  and  Senor  Canovas  in  the  streets  of 
Madrid  a  few  weeks  previously.  Sagasta  answered  at  length, 
minifying  the  disturbance,  and  declaring  that  the  government 
had  no  intimation  of  it,  and  did  its  best  to  suppress  it;  he  play- 
fully insinuated  that  the  Conservatives  must  not  be  too  sensi- 
tive; they  had  had  much  approbation  elsewhere,  and  should 
bear  rebuffs  more  patiently.  While  he  was  speaking  Canovas 
rose  and  said:  "I  will  take  the  word."  He  is  an  orator  of  the 
highest  grade,  erect,  graceful,  self-poised,  and  roused  the 
House  to  shouts  of  applause  and  murmurs  of  disapprobation. 
Castelar  showed  marked  interest,  but  did  not  speak.  Bald- 
headed,  good-humored,  he  belongs  to  the  class  of  men  who  do 
not  exhibit  in  repose  the  elements  of  greatness.  It  was  mid- 
night when  the  session  closed. 

In  one  of  the  most  popular  chapels  in  Madrid,  I  purchased 
of  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  the  exact  measurement  of  the 
Virgin's  sandal,  a  facsimile  of  which  is  herewith  printed. 

In  the  center,  in  Spanish,  is  the  statement  that  the  original 
is  preserved  in  a  monastery  in  Spain,  and  an  account  of  the 
benefits  to  be  derived  from  the  measurement.  Of  this  state- 
ment a  literal  translation  is  herewith  given: 

"Long  live  the  holiest  Mary,  mother  of  God.  This  is  the 
true  measure  of  the  sandal  of  the  holiest  Virgin,  which  is  pre- 
served with  great  veneration  in  a  convent  of  Spain.  The 
Pope  John  XXII  granted  three  hundred  years  of  indulgence 
to  all  who  kiss  three  times  this  measure  and  pray  three  Are 
Marias. 

"This  indulgence  confirmed  Clemens  VIII,  in  the  year  1603, 
and  it  can  be  gained  as  often  as  you  wish  for  the  blessed 
works  of  the  Purgatory  and  for  the  greater  glory  of  the  Queen 
of  the  Angels. 

"It  is  permitted  to  take  from  this  measure  others,  and  all 
shall  have  the  same  indulgences. 

"Mary,  Mother  of  Grace,  pray  for  us." 

"It  is  sold  in  the  Chapel  of  Our   Lady  of  the  Solitude, 


•E&tu  es  verdudei'u 
tie  la    sandalla  de 


la/ 


se  conserva  eon  gran, 
•  vciierueiou  em  USE  £1 
tiasterto  de  1  s  jpait  a  . 


OEi 


El  Papa  Juan  XXII  eoncedio 
ucscienles  a&oa  de  iudulgen- 
2i  c iufe  a    todos,  besacdo  Ires  ve- 
ces  esla  medida,  y  rezando 
tres  Ave  Marias 

Dicha  indulgencia  confirm^ 
Clementc  VIII  en  el  ano  1603, 
}  y  se  pifede  ganarcuantasrvece* 
f  se  quiera  por  las  benditas  almas 
del  Purgatorio,  y  [>ara  mayor  glo- 
f  ria  de  la  Heliia 


.  medida 

olras,  y'  tddas  tendtfn.  lay  mimas  in-  •-* 


MARIA. 


28  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Pigeon  Street,  for  her  worship.  Madrid,  1883.  Published  by 
Aguado;  Pontejos,  8." 

Desiring  to  see  where  the  few  Protestants  in  Madrid  wor- 
shiped, we  went  one  Sabbath  morning  to  the  mission  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church,  over  which  the  Rev.  John 
Jameson,  of  Scotland,  has  presided  for  nearly  twenty  years. 
Presbyterianism  finds  it  expedient  to  adopt  in  Spain  quite  an 
extended  liturgy,  but  its  traditional  "long  prayer  "was  not 
omitted.  The  congregation  numbered  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five.  The  choir  was  composed  of  fifty  children,  who 
furnished  a  volume  of  melody  almost  sufficient  to  drown  the 
organ,  but  did  not  prevent  us  from  hearing  the  peculiar  pen- 
etrating voice  of  an  assistant  who  kept  the  children  in  concert 
to  an  unusual  degree. 

After  the  opening  services  this  assistant,  Don  Cipriano  Tor- 
nos,  ascended  the  pulpit  and  preached.  He  had  been  a  Cath- 
olic priest  of  such  distinction  as  to  rise  to  the  position  of 
preacher  at  the  Spanish  court;  was  hardly  excelled  in  popu- 
larity by  any  priest  in  Madrid;  but  fifteen  years  before,  with 
no  charge  against  him  and  with  every  desired  preferment  within 
reach,  he  left  the  Roman  Church,  affiliated  with  the  Presby- 
terian, and  ever  since  has  faithfully  performed  his  duty  as  as- 
sistant minister.  Like  Luther,  he  married;  and  his  Roman 
Catholic  opponents  have  not  been  slow  to  allege  the  purpose 
to  do  so  as  the  reason  of  his  withdrawal. 

There  is  in  Madrid  a  Lutheran  minister,  the  Rev.  Fritz 
Fliedner,  the  son  of  the  founder  of  the  now  renowned  "  Kaisers- 
werth."  He  works  upon  a  "  providential  "  plan,  starting  in- 
stitutions, schools,  orphanages,  homes  for  governesses,  incipient 
hospitals  and  missions,  and  conducting  them  undenomination- 
ally.  Two  or  three  committees  in  Germany,  and  some  English 
congregations,  raise  funds  for  him,  and  from  various  parts  of 
the  world  money  is  sent.  He  publishes  books  and  tracts  in 
Spanish,  conducts  a  service  in  that  language,  and  preaches  to 
a  small  congregation  of  Germans.  I  visited  his  schools  in 
Madrid  and  elsewhere ;  they  are  numerously  attended,  and  he 
contrives  to  make  the  parents  of  the  children,  and  the  friends 
of  orphans  wherever  they  have  any,  pay  something  toward  their 
education. 


THE  SPANISH  CAPITAL.  29 

The  Wesleyans  have  a  mission,  but,  owing  to  a  feud  and  se- 
cession, it  was  not  prosperous. 

Madrid  has  not  so  many  centers  of  tragic  interest  as  Paris, 
but  we  saw  a  church  on  whose  steps ^  bishop  two  or  three 
years  before  was  killed  by  a  priest,  said  to  be  insane,  and  the 
corner  of  the  street  where  General  Prim  was  assassinated,  De- 
cember 27,  1870.  The  holes  in  the  wall  made  by  the  discharge 
of  the  gun  may  still  be  seen.  The  street  where  Cervantes  lived 
is  named  for  him,  and  the  house,  supposed  to  be  the  one  occu- 
pied by  him,  has  his  profile  over  the  door. 

The  Spaniards  are  magnificent  horsemen,  and  a  greater  num- 
ber of  elegant  equipages,  accomplished  riders,  and  spirited  an- 
imals, the  Route  en  Roi  in  London  and  the  Bois  du  Boulogne 
in  Paris  seldom  exhibit.  The  few  sunny  days  during  our 
sojourn  brought  the  whole  population  out  of  doors. 

Madrid  wears  the  aspect  of  a  prosperous  city.  Its  dullness 
is  gone,  and,  with  the  restoration  of  trees  in  the  suburbs  now 
going  forward  on  a  large  scale,  even  its  climate  is  improving, 
so  that  it  may  yet  vindicate  the  wisdom  of  its  arbitrary  selec- 
tion as  the  site  of  the  capital. 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Escorial,  Toledo,  and  Cordova. 

Situation  of  the  Escorial — Character  of  Philip — Interior  of  the  Escorial — 
Description  of  Toledo — Its  Cathedral — Picturesque  Gates — Ruined  Walls 
— Ancient  Churches — The  Alcazar — Journey  to  Cordova — Cathedral  and 
Great  Mosque. 

I    HAVE   been    in    many   hospitals,   barracks,  asylums,  and 
prisons,  but  the   gloomiest  work  of  man   on  which  my  eyes 

ever  rested  is  the 
Escorial.  It  is 
grand,  but  it  is 
the  grandeur  of 
darkness,  despo- 
tism, and  death. 
Philip,  "less  a 
warrior  than  a 
monk,  and  less  a 
monk  than  an  in- 
quisitor," built  it 
as  a  tomb  for  his 
father,  himself, 
and  his  succes- 
sors, and  as  a 
monument  to  San 
Lorenzo,  on  whose 


Street  of  St.  Thomas  in  Toledo. 


1557,  the  battle 
of  St.  Quentin  was 
fought  and  won, 
as  Philip  believed, 
through  his  inter- 
cession. While  in- 
tended for  a  burial 
place,  it  was  also 
a  monastery,  an 


THE  ESCORIAL,  TOLEDO,  AND  CORDOVA.  33 

asylum,  and  a  palace.  For  two  years  he  searched  for  a  spot,  and 
finally  selected  as  wild  and  secluded  a  region  as  Spain  could 
afford.  One  must  pass  beyond  the  arctic  circle  to  witness 
barer,  browner,  more  inhospitable  prospects.  Upon  the  lofty 
slope  of  the  Guadarrama  Mountains  he  erected  this  structure, 
more  than  one  eighth  of  a  mile  long,  and  nearly  as  wide.  It 
is  built  of  granite,  and  dividing  the  surface  into  paths  wide 
enough  for  the  step  of  a  man,  one  could  walk  thirty-two 
leagues  without  going  over  the  same  ground  twice.  Though 
the  mountains  behind  it  are  high  and  stern,  this  building  is 
not  dwarfed  by  the  surroundings.  The  Spaniards  call  it  the 
eighth  wonder  of  the  world.  The  chapels  and  altars  are  filled 
with  paintings  by  the  finest  artists,  and  the  high  altar  is  com- 
posed of  precious  marbles  and  inlaid  jasper.  The  library  con- 
tains magnificently  bound  and  illuminated  volumes,  ranged 
upon  the  shelves  with  their  edges  outward,  instead-  of  the 
backs,  as  is  usually  the  case.  The  colors  of  the  tapestry  rival 
in  delicacy,  richness,  and  vividness  the  richest  paintings  upon 
canvas. 

The  character  of  the  founder — severe,  melancholy,  and  mor- 
bid— is  stamped  upon  every  part  of  the  structure,  where  his 
successors  of  a  different  temperament  have  not  given  it  a  more 
human  appearance.  During  the  fourteen  years  that  Philip 
lived  there  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  transform  himself  into  a 
monk,  and  sat  with  the  priests  as  they  sang  in  the  choir,  find- 
ing his  way  through  a  secret  door  to  a  certain  corner.  The 
room  in  which  he  died  was  so  situated  as  to  give  him  a  con- 
stant view  of  the  high  altar. 

The  first  impression  is  oppressive.  The  visitor  unconsciously 
looks  about  to  see  if  there  is  a  way  of  escape,  and  almost 
fancies  that  he  hears  keys  turning  in  rusty  locks  behind  him. 
Monks  and  beggars  flit  across  the  scene  and  disappear  through 
the  passages,  or  are  lost  in  the  prodigious  expanse  of  the  main 
edifice.  But  after  a  while  this  passes  away  and  the  visitor 
becomes  cool,  then  stolid.  Only  professional  guides  and 
architects  or  worshipers  are  likely  to  go  there  twice. 

The  Pantheon,  underneath  the  high  altar,  is  indeed  a  worthy 
sepulcher  for  kings.  From  the  church,  by  successive  flights 
of  polished  marble  steps,  the  visitor  descends  until  he  finds 


34  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

himself  in  an  octagonal  room,  nearly  forty  feet  in  diameter 
and  but  little  less  in  height,  formed  entirely  of  marble  and 
jasper,  and  relieved  by  gilt  bronze  ornaments. 

The  body  of  Alfonso  XII,  who  died  December  2,  1885, 
lay  in  a  side  room  subjected  to  the  action  of  a  stream  of 
water,  by  which  the  perishable  parts  were  gradually  removed. 
The  urn  prepared  to  receive  it  when  this  process  should  have 
been  completed,  was  exhibited.  In  an  apartment  called  el Pan- 
teon  de  los  Infantes  are  the  bones  of  the  princes  and  queens  of 
Spain  whose  sons  did  not  reign,  except  the  late  Queen  Mercedes. 
The  marble  caskets  are  beautiful  and  some  of  the  inscriptions 
touching;  but  the  whole  is  in  unpleasant  contrast  with  the 
general  character  of  the  building,  and  in  many  instances  the 
decorations  are  gaudy. 

Whenever  we  spoke  to  travelers  or  residents  concerning 
cathedrals  already  visited,  the  usual  reply  was,  "Wait  till  you 
reach  Toledo." 

The  city  of  Toledo,  sixty  miles  from  Madrid,  is  the  residence 
of  an  archbishop  whose  jurisdiction  includes  Madrid,  Cordova, 
and  seven  other  bishoprics.  To-day  its  population  amounts 
to  less  than  eighteen  thousand  ;  once  it  had  two  hundred 
thousand.  Goth,  Jew,  Moor,  and  Spaniard  have  lavished 
wealth,  art,  and  labor  upon  it.  As  we  approached ,  the  city 
towering  on  an  almost  perpendicular  rock,  appeared  like  a  com- 
plete fortification  for  the  defense  of  the  plain  and  of  the  river 
Tagus. 

The  people  of  Toledo  are  proud  of  their  history  and  of  their 
Spanish,  said  to  be  the  purest  now  spoken,  and  honored  by 
Alfonso  X  in  a  law  providing  that,  in  cases  of  doubt,  the 
Toledan  definition  and  pronunciation  of  words  shall  prevail. 
The  streets  are  so  crooked  that  there  is  no  way  for  the  stranger 
to  avoid  being  lost  except  to  commit  to  memory  the  signs  on 
places  of  business. 

The  Alcazar,  a  beautiful  edifice,  has  been  destroyed  several 
times;  once  by  the  French,  and,  finally,  only  two  years  ago, 
by  an  accidental  fire.  Little  remains  but  bare  walls,  yet  they 
are  sufficient  to  show  what  a  noble  structure  it  must  have 
been. 

Wherever  one   wanders  a  surprise  awaits    him.       Styles  of 


THE  ESCORIAL,  TOLEDO,  AND  CORDOVA.  35 

various  ages  and  peoples  are  illustrated  in  the  buildings.  The 
Moors  have  left  their  impress  upon  every  part.  The  character 
of  the  sites  makes  even  ordinary  buildings  striking  as  they  rise 
like  terraces.  Interesting  anecdotes  abound  of  the  different 
epochs  in  Toledo's  long  history.  A  student  could  spend 
years  allowing  his  own  inquiries  to  guide  him,  and  before  ex- 
hausting the  subject  would  become  acquainted  with  the  history 
of  Europe  during  the  entire  Christian  era. 

No  one  can  with  certainty  say  when  the  cathedral  was 
founded;  the  Moors  transformed  it  into  a  mosque,  and  when 
they  were  conquered  it  was  guaranteed  to  them  by  Alfonzo  VI, 
but  the  promise  was  not  fulfilled ;  the  structure  was  burned  in 
1226,  and  a  new  one  erected  upon  the  site,  finished  in  the  year 
Columbus  discovered  America. 

The  names  of  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  eminent  artists 
are  given  who  for  six  centuries  were  employed  to  decorate  it. 
We  entered  through  cloisters,  and  were  conducted  slowly 
through  the  various  chapels  and  to  all  the  best  view-points. 
Here  there  is  nothing  oppressive ;  all  is  chaste  and  beautiful. 
One  might  sit  a  half  day  content  to  gaze  upon  the  scene  with- 
out the  slightest  attention  to  details,  losing  vision  in  the  lofty 
height  or  the  dark  expanse.  The  chapels  are  epitomes  of 
history  and  museums  of  art.  There  is  a  unique  image  in 
silver,  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  old,  ten  thousand  nine 
hundred  ounces  in  weight,  and  the  cross  on  the  pinnacle  is  made 
of  the  first  gold  brought  by  Columbus  to  Europe.  Street,  in 
his  Gothic  Architecture  in  Spain,  says  that  this  cathedral  "is 
not  inferior  in  design  to  any  of  the  great  French  cathedrals, 
while  it  far  surpasses  them  in  rich  furniture,  picturesque 
effect,  and  artistic  objects  of  every  kind."  The  wonderful 
mosaics,  the  volume  of  sound  produced  by  the  organ  and  the 
voices  of  fifty  priests,  and  the  performance  in  a  side  chapel  of 
an  ancient  ritual,  were  among  the  things  that  pleased  us. 

Spanish  cathedrals  have  a  peculiarity  which  diminishes  their 
internal  effect.  The  choir  is  placed  in  the  center  of  the  edi- 
fice. The  acoustics  are  by  this  improved,  but  the  perspective 
is  divided. 

Our  guide  through  this  building  we  had  taken  from  Madrid, 
a  courier  employed  for  the  time  that  we  were  in  its  vicinity, 


36  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

a  Hebrew  of  superior  intelligence  and  a  romancer.  One  of 
the  officials  ordered  me  to  take  off  a  cap  worn  to  prevent 
taking  cold  in  the  chilly  building.  The  courier  made  a  few 
remarks  which  led  not  only  to  his  withdrawing  the  com- 
mand, but  treating  me  with  such  unusual  courtesy  and  rev- 
erence that  I  asked  the  courier  what  was  the  meaning  of  the 
sudden  change  in  manner.  "  I  told  him,"  said  he,  "  that  you 
were  a  bishop  of  the  holy  Roman  Church,  whose  health  had 
failed,  and  who  on  account  of  important  services  in  mission 
fields  had  received  a  dispensation  to  wear  a  cap  and  a  beard." 
I  had  neither  suggested  nor  authorized  the  fiction,  but  enjoyed 
its  benefits. 

Besides  the  cathedral,  its  chief  charm,  Toledo  has  other  at- 
tractions; the  gates,  so  picturesque,  the  ruined  walls,  the 
castle,  and  the  bridges;  churches  that  were  formerly  mosques, 
and  others  that  were  synagogues.  One  originally  a  synagogue, 
was  erected  in  the  twelfth  century,  converted  into  a  church, 
then  transformed  into  an  asylum  for  penitent  women  of  pre- 
viously abandoned  life,  then  resumed  its  place  as  a  church,  and 
was  so  retained  until  1791,  when  it  was  used  as  a  barrack; 
next  it  became  a  military  store,  and  finally  a  dancing  hall.  It 
is  now  in  process  of  restoration. 

We  visited  the  manufactory  of  cutlery,  and  procured  speci- 
mens of  the  famous  Toledo  blade.  The  cadets  of  the  Alcazar, 
set  free  from  daily  tasks,  were  lunching,  lounging,  arguing,  and 
joking  in  the  courtyard. 

From  Madrid  to  Cordova  is  two  hundred  and  seventy-six 
miles.  The  railway  passes  through  the  Campos  de  la  Mancha, 
and  within  six  miles  of  the  place  where  Cervantes  wrote  Don 
Quixote,  in  which  may  be  found  an  accurate  description  of  those 
cheerless  wastes,  on  which  windmills  still  stand.  The  prison 
in  which  the  author  wrote  his  work  is  now  a  printing  office, 
and  one  of  the  best  Spanish  editions  of  Don  Quixote  has  re- 
cently been  printed  in  that  building. 

Cordova  was  probably  of  Carthaginian  origin,  founded  about 
206  B.  C.,  and  is  the  site  of  the  first  Roman  colony  in  Spain, 
becoming  the  capital  of  "  Ulterior  Spain."  During  the  Roman 
domination  many  eminent  men,  among  them  Seneca  and  Lucan, 
were  born  there.  It  was  captured  by  the  Goths  in  527,  and  one 


-r—  - 


Cathedral  of  Toledo. 


THE  ESCORIAL,  TOLEDO,  AND  CORDOVA.  39 

hundred  years  afterward  by  the  Moors.  The  Arabian  empire, 
which  had  become  the  most  aggressive  in  the  world,  estab- 
lished at  Cordova  the  Western  Caliphate,  rivaling  in  splendor, 
learning,  and  wealth  those  of  Bagdad  and  Cairo.  From  1236, 
when  the  Catholics  regained  the  city,  it  declined,  until  now  it 
has  little  or  nothing  to  exhibit  but  the  remains  of  the  Arabian 
dynasty,  consisting  chiefly  of  the  bridge,  the  Moorish  towers, 
and  the  cathedral,  formerly  a  mosque. 

Probably  the  cathedral  gives  a  better  idea  of  the  grandeur 
of  the  ecclesiastical  edifices  erected  by  the  Mohammedans  than 
any  other  in  Europe.  The  design  is  more  simple  than  that  of 
the  cathedral  at  Toledo.  When  the  Arabs  entered  Cordova 
in  701,  they  converted  half  the  Christian  cathedral  into  a 
mosque.  Seventy  years  later  Abd-er-Rahman  I.  determined  to 
build  a  temple  which  should  compete  with  the  East,  and 
bought  of  the  Christians  the  part  of  the  temple  which  up  to 
that  time  they  had  occupied.  The  new  mosque  was  begun  in 
786  on  the  site  of  the  old  Christian  church  where  formerly  had 
stood  a  temple  devoted  to  Janus.  The  object  of  the  caliph 
was  to  save  the  people  from  the  customary  pilgrimages  to  the 
tomb  of  Mohammed  in  Mecca.  It  ranked  among  the  Moham- 
medan mosques  as  third  in  sanctity.  The  entire  area  is  six 
hundred  and  forty-two  feet  long,  by  four  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  wide;  the  walls  are  from  thirty  to  sixty  feet  high  and  six 
feet  thick,  and  the  roof  is  thirty-five  feet  high.  One's 
chief  sensation  on  beholding  is  astonishment.  Twelve  hun- 
dred pillars  originally  supported  the  roof,  each  a  solid  block  of 
marble,  brought  with  their  capitals  from  the  different  countries 
over  which  the  Saracens  were  then  rulers.  Here  are  every 
conceivable  hue  and  kind  of  stones:  pink  and  white  marbles; 
dark  brown,  black  streaked  with  white,  pale  yellow  jasper; 
blood  red,  green,  and  different  colors  of  porphyry.  About 
nine  hundred  and  twenty  columns  remain,  the  rows  appearing 
perfect  in  whatever  direction  one  looks. 

The  pavement  of  the  holy  place  is  of  white  marble,  and  the 
shell-shaped  roof  is  of  one  block.  The  mosaics  surpass  any  in 
the  world.  When  the  mosque  was  illuminated  for  great  festiv- 
ities, 10,805  ^ghts  were  used. 

We  saw  the  spot  where  the  constant  procession  of  the  faith- 


4o  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

ful,  on  their  knees,  had  worn  away  the  marble — "worn  as 
though  the  cold  pavement  were  a  sod."  A  few  years  ago 
Muley  Abbas,  an  uncle  of  the  present  Emperor  of  Morocco, 
went  through  this  mosque,  passing  seven  times  around  it  on 
his  knees,  sighing  and  praying,  and  then  wept  loudly,  sobbing 
like  a  child,  because  "all  this  splendor  had  been  the  work  of 
his  ancestors.  They  had  raised  this  wonder,  and  now  the  de- 
generate Moors  could  not  even  read  the  Arabic  inscriptions." 

When  the  Christians  took  formal  possession  they  began  the 
work  of  erecting  side  chapels,  and  continued  it  for  two 
hundred  years.  Finally,  against  the  protest  of  the  city  cor- 
poration, a  bishop  built  a  church  in  the  midst  of  the  mosque. 
Charles  V  upheld  the  bishop,  but  when  he  visited  Cordova  in 
1526  he  reproved  the  chapter:  "You  have  built  here  what  you 
or  anyone  might  have  built  anywhere  else;  but  you  have  de- 
stroyed what  was  unique  in  the  world."  The  mosque  is  al- 
most as  vast  as  the  Escorial ;  but  it  is  massive  without  sever- 
ity, original  without  monstrosity,  elegant  in  its  curves  and 
profiles,  and  instead  of  making  the  impression  of  a  huge  stone 
quarry,  it  is  obviously  a  happy  combination  of  gems  from 
many  sources. 

"  What  must  it  have  been  when  its  roof  was  higher  and  glis- 
tening with  gilding  and  vivid  colors,  and  thousands  of  gold 
and  silver  lamps;  when  its  walls  were  worked  like  lace,  and 
looked  like  cashmere  shawls  illuminated  from  behind? " 

What  must  Cordova  have  been  when  it  was  the  center  of 
riches  and  of  the  highest  civilization  of  the  age,  with  its  uni- 
versity, its  population  of  a  million,  its  three  hundred  mosques, 
nine  hundred  baths,  and  six  hundred  hotels? 

The  Court  of  Oranges,  with  its  palms,  cypresses,  and  orange 
trees,  and  its  colonnades  of  marble  pillars,  is  a  mixture  of 
Spanish  and  Moorish  scenes.  An  interesting  relic  is  a  Roman 
military  column  found  in  1532,  which  shows  the  distance 
from  that  point  to  Cadiz,  one  hundred  and  fourteen  miles.  At 
the  town  gate,  near  the  bridge,  is  an  ugly  monument  in  honor 
of  Raphael,  the  tutelar  saint,  erected  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago,  commemorating  the  alleged  miraculous  apparition 
of  St.  Raphael  for  the  salvation  of  the  city. 


"PROUD  SEVILLE."  43 


CHAPTER  V. 
"Proud  Seville." 

General  Description  of  Seville — Tobacco  and  Porcelain  Factories — The  Hos- 
pital— Picture  Gallery — The  Colombina  Library — The  Cathedral — Tomb 
of  the  Son  of  Columbus. 

FROM  cold  and  gloomy  Burgos,  bustling,  windy,  and  modern 
Madrid,  languishing,  diminished,  and  dilapidated  Cordova,  to 
sunny  Seville,  is  a  delightful  transition  ;  for  this  is  the  land  of 
orange  groves,  of  grass  ever  green,  of  bare  heads  and  bare 
feet,  of  singing  birds,  and  children  playing  in  the  street.  The 
rains  are  frequent  and  heavy,  but  not  cold.  Tables  are  laden 
with  vegetables,  and  for  once  heavy  meats  fill  a  subordinate 
place.  If  the  inhabitants  but  knew  how  to  cook  their  fruits 
and  vegetables,  this  would  be  a  gastronomical  paradise.  The 
very  beggars  of  Seville  have  a  character  of  their  own.  One 
sees  in  them  the  airs  of  decayed  aristocracy,  the  indolence  of 
an  Asiatic,  and  the  contentment  without  the  surly  ferocity  of 
the  American  tramp.  Here  the  bullfighters,  guitar -players, 
singers,  Sabbath-breakers,  intriguers,  have  unrestricted  license. 
The  sterner  aspect  of  the  Spaniards  of  the  north  gives  place  to 
an  almost  French  affability  and  politeness. 

The  Phoenicians  brought  their  commerce  and  paganism  to 
this  part  of  Spain,  and  gave  it  a  name  signifying  a  plain,  and 
the  historians  trace  the  name  through  four  or  five  changes: 
Phoenician,  Sephela;  Greek,  Ispola;  Roman,  Ispolis;  Moor- 
ish, Ishbiliah;  and  finally,  Sevilla.  Caesar  conquered  it  45 
B.  C.  The  Vandals  made  it  a  capital,  and  so  the  Goths  kept  it 
till  the  advent  of  the  Moors,  nearly  six  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago.  When  it  was  surrendered  to  the  Christians,  almost  the 
whole  population,  consisting  of  four  hundred  thousand  Moors, 
Jews,  and  Arabs,  fled. 

The  government  of  Spain  has  a  monopoly  of  the  manufac- 
ture of  tobacco,  and  of  modern  things  the  most  extraordinary 
and  monstrous  is  the  tobacco  factory.  Hideous,  yet  fascinat- 


44  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

ing,  is  the  interior  of  the  building,  a  tenth  of  a  mile  square,  in 
which  five  thousand  women  and  girls  manufacture  ten  thou- 
sand pounds  of  cigars  per  day.  Every  room  is  filthy,  and  the 
stenches  so  pungent  that  it  is  a  common  occurrence  for  visitors 
to  be  taken  ill  and  compelled  to  retire. 

The  tales  of  the  beauty  of  the  women  are  false,  and  de- 
nounced by  most  standard  books.  A  few  are  of  more  than  or- 
dinary comeliness,  but  even  those  are  of  the  cigar-box-picture 
type  of  beauty.  The  majority  are  brazen  in  expression  and 
disgusting  in  conduct.  They  eat  and  smoke  as  they  work, 
chatter  like  magpies,  and  beg  of  the  visitor.  Through  the 
building  are  scattered  wretched  infants  in  cradles,  or  strapped 
to  their  mothers  while  they  are  at  work. 

In  the  porcelain  factory  we  followed  from  the  beginning  to 
the  end  the  process  of  making  fine  goods.  Stripers  on  the 
cheap  quality  give  place  to  those  who  paint  little  pictures,  and 
these,  in  turn,  to  real  artists,  who  decorate  the  fine  specimens  of 
china.  Many  women  of  a  much  higher  grade  than  those  in  the 
tobacco  factory  and  of  correspondingly  better  behavior,  are 
engaged  in  this  employment. 

The  great  hospital  under  the  control  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  is  a  neat,  comfortable,  and  well-managed  institution. 
We  visited  every  department,  finding  it  an  honor  to  its  man- 
agers; the  floors,  bedding,  and  furniture  scrupulously  clean, 
and  the  atmosphere  pure.  Everything  being  made  of  stone 
gives  to  one  unaccustomed  to  it  an  impression  of  severity 
and  coldness;  but  in  that  climate  it  is  comfortable.  The 
sisters  were  attentively  caring  for  the  sick,  presenting  to  visi- 
tors a  view  of  this  form  of  Roman  Catholic  activity  at  its  best. 
One  department  had  over  it  a  sign,  Hombres  Dementes;  and 
among  the  pauper  lunatics  and  those  of  obscure  birth  we  saw 
a  scion  of  one  of  the  wealthiest  families  in  southern  Spain, 
whose  manners  indicated  his  delusion — pride,  the  national 
characteristic,  exaggerated. 

The  squares  and  streets  of  Seville  are  pleasing.  The  estate 
of  the  Duke  of  Montpensier,  son  of  Louis  Phillippe",  of  France, 
is  one  of  the  most  elaborate  private  establishments  in  Spain. 
On  the  one  side  is  the  river,  and  on  the  other  are  the  botanical 
gardens  and  the  principal  promenade  of  the  city.  The  duke's 


"  PROUD  SEVILLE."  45 

garden  is  nearly  two  miles  in  circumference,  and  is  largely  de- 
voted to  oranges.  Sometimes  the  harvest,  grown  in  the  center 
of  the  city,  not  in  the  form  of  a  grove,  but  interspersed  with 
all  other  kinds  of  subtropical  fruits  and  trees,  nets  him  ten 
thousand  dollars  annually.  Beautiful  as  his  mansion  is  he 
does  not  wish  to  live  there,  and  spends  most  of  his  time  in 
Paris,  for  the  reason  that  in  that  building  he  has  been  bereaved 
of  five  daughters. 

The  picture  gallery  of  Seville  is  small  but  fine;  probably  the 
best  place  in  which  to  study  Murillos.  Here  can  be  seen  the 
large  "Conception,"  and  his  favorite  picture,  "St.  Thomas 
Giving  Alms."  The  only  painting  upon  wood  he  ever  made  is 
here.  I  viewed  more  than  twenty-five  of  Murillo's  most  cele- 
brated works,  and  in  some  felt  the  power  of  art;  others  might 
have  been  substituted  by  any  of  ten  thousand  paintings,  and  I 
could  not  have  perceived  that  injustice  had  been  done  to  the 
collection.  Having  procured  an  analytical  criticism  by  a  high 
authority,  it  was  a  satisfaction  to  discover  that  three  of  those 
which  impressed  me  were  highly  commended,  and  a  perplexity 
to  find  that  some  of  those  which  I  had  thought  of  little  account 
were  classed  among  his  best.  One  which,  if  offered  to  me  in  a 
store  for  a  few  dollars,  I  would  have  refused,  is  estimated  as 
worth  many  thousands.  While  in  the  depths  of  humility  after 
this  discovery  I  stumbled  upon  the  writings  of  another  critic 
who  considered  the  picture  utterly  unworthy  of  Murillo,  and 
of  doubtful  authenticity! 

Turning  from  the  picture  gallery  to  the  Biblioteca  Colom- 
bina,  we  were  plunged  into  the  antiquities  of  our  own  country; 
for  this  library  was  founded  by  the  bequest  of  Fernando  Colon, 
a  son  of  Christopher  Columbus.  He  was  a  wide  traveler,  a 
brave  soldier,  and  a  scholar;  and  accompanied  his  father  and 
uncles  several  times  to  America.  At  his  death  he  bequeathed 
his  library  of  twenty  thousand  volumes  to  the  chapter.  "Neg- 
lect and  insects"  have  reduced  the  books  derived  from  him  to 
one  half  the  original  number.  The  titles  of  several  incited 
curiosity  to  read  them.  One,  published  twelve  years  before 
Columbus  discovered  America,  contains  all  the  information 
possessed  by  Ptolemy,  Aristotle,  Pliny,  and  others,  on  the  form 
of  the  world.  Christopher  Columbus  copied  it  all  out  with  his 
4 


46  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

own  hand,  and  added  notes.  Most  curious  is  a  tract  written 
by  Columbus  to  satisfy  the  Inquisition,  in  which  he  undertakes 
to  show  that  his  discovery  of  America  is  predicted  in  the  Scrip- 
tures! I  lingered  long  in  this  room. 

Of  course  we  went  to  Murillo's  house,  and  to  the  place 
where  he  died.  The  street  in  which  he  was  born  now  bears 
his  name.  He  was  buried  under  a  church,  but  when  the 
building  was  destroyed  by  the  French  under  Marshal  Soult, 
his  bones  were  scattered.  All  they  can  exhibit  is  a  facsimile 
of  the  slab  formerly  on  his  tomb. 

The  Cathedral  of  Seville  is  classed  with  those  of  Burgos  and 
Toledo  as  the  finest  in  Spain,  and  is  the  largest  church  in 
Europe  except  St.  Peter's  in  Rome.  It  was  resolved  by  the 
corporation,  preliminary  to  its  erection,  "to  construct  a 
church  such  and  so  good  that  it  should  never  have  its  equal." 
The  edifice  had  met  with  a  calamity  a  short  time  before  our 
visit.  A  large  portion  of  the  ceiling  in  the  center  fell,  dama- 
ging the  decorations,  and  destroying  some  of  the  best.  The  air 
was  filled  with  dust  and  noise  of  workmen,  and  much  of 
the  space  was  taken  up  by  scaffolding.  On  entering,  the  im- 
pression was  that  of  solemn  grandeur.  With  its  brilliant  win- 
dows; noble  choir,  placed  in  the  center  according  to  the  cus- 
tom in  Spain;  vast  organs,  transepts,  alabaster  shrines,  silver 
candlesticks  twenty-five  feet  high,  many  chapels,  each  rivaling 
the  others  in  splendor  of  decorations,  and  treasures  of  art,  huge 
silver  altars,  relics  of  antiquity,  lofty  nave,  and  still  higher  dome 
between  the  transepts,  and  the  whole  Gospel  history  painted 
upon  the  high  altar  in  forty-four  compartments,  it  fulfills  the 
vast  designs  and  exhibits  the  munificence  of  its  projectors. 

The  tomb  of  Fernando,  son  of  Columbus,  is  in  this  cathe- 
dral. Murillo's  celebrated  painting  of  St.  Anthony  has  a 
peculiar  history.  On  the  night  of  November  4,  1874,  the  kneel- 
ing figure  of  the  saint  was  cut  out  of  the  canvas.  The  Spanish 
government  at  once  communicated  the  fact  of  its  loss  to  the 
civilized  world,  through  its  representatives,  and  the  picture 
was  discovered  in  the  city  of  New  York,  where  it  had  been 
offered  to  Mr.  Schaus  for  fifty  pounds.  It  was  restored  to  its 
original  place  with  such  skill  that  no  indication  that  it  had 
ever  been  removed  can  be  seen. 


"PROUD  SEVILLE."  49 

The  Alcazar  would  need  a  volume  to  portray  its  diversified 
beauty.  Roman  pillars  with  Gothic  capitals,  genuine  Moorish 
doors,  ceilings,  and  tiles,  with  roofs  of  the  same  character,  and 
Arabian  suites  of  rooms;  along  the  garden  tanks  where  kings 
fished  and  queens  and  favorites  of  kings  bathed,  hidden  foun- 
tains, gardens  worthy  of  Aladdin.  In  one  of  these  may  be 
realized  the  full  conception  of  the  garden  so  glowingly  de- 
scribed in  Gibbon  and  other  historians  of  ancient  luxury. 
There  were  oranges  and  lemons  growing  in  the  open  air,  and 
we  plucked  sweet  lemons,  distinguished  from  the  sour  by  a 
peculiarity  in  the  leaf  as  well  as  by  their  possessing  the  sweet- 
ness of  the  sweetest  orange,  while  preserving  the  characteris- 
tic lemon  flavor. 

Tragedies  have  stained  these  marbles  with  blood.  Here 
dwelt  Don  Pedro  the  Cruel,  who  murdered  his  brother,  and 
deserves  to  be  classed  with  Ivan  the  Terrible,  of  Russia,  and 
Richard  III,  of  England.  If,  as  Byron  says, 

"  Fair  is  proud  Seville, 
Let  her  country  boast 
Her  strength,  her  wealth,  her  site  of  ancient  days," 

it  cannot  be  forgotten  that  here  was  established  the  Inquisi- 
tion. 

Among  the  men  of  whose  nativity  Seville  is  proud  are 
the  Roman  emperors,  Hadrian,  Trajan,  and  Theodosius; 
Murillo,  Magellan,  and  Las  Casas  the  philosopher  and  friend 
of  the  Indians.  Shortly  after  the  discovery  of  America  it  was 
the  emporium  of  the  world.  From  its  port  went  forth  Pizarro, 
Columbus  (on  one  or  more  of  his  voyages),  and  Cortes.  Now 
its  people  are  indolent  and  pleasure-loving.  Most  of  its  mod- 
ern enterprises  are  under  the  control  of  the  English,  who 
manage  its  waterworks,  tramways,  and  porcelain  factory. 
The  people  sing,  coquette,  chatter,  sleep,  and  vainly  felicitate 
themselves  on  the  glory-days  past  and  gone. 


50  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Alhambra. 

Approaching  Granada — Not  Disappointed  in  the  Alhambra — Description — 
History — Purpose — Splendor — Iconoclasm  of  the  Christians — Ravages  of 
the  French  under  Napoleon — Mystery  and  Magic  of  the  Alhambra. 

CLOUDS  and  mists  covered  the  heights  of  the  Alhambra,  as 
we  looked  forth  on  the  morning  after  our  arrival,  which  had 
been  late  the  previous  evening. 

I  have  read  Irving,  De  Amicis — whose  emotion  and  imagi- 
nation make  him  so  absorbing  and  misleading — and  many  other 
writers  on  the  Alhambra;  and  gazed  upon  numberless  photo- 
graphs and  paintings,  but  the  result  has  been  as  though  photo- 
graphs of  the  separate  parts  of  the  human  body  were  exhibited 
to  an  inhabitant  of  another  sphere,  as  the  materials  from  which 
he  must  form  an  estimate  of  a  living  human  being;  for  the  Al- 
hambra is  not  one  building,  but  many.  In  the  deepest  valley 
or  the  most  gloomy  desert  on  the  globe,  it  would  intoxicate 
and  enthrall;  but  its  situation  increases  its  fascination  im- 
measurably. I  doubt  if  earth  contains  a  grander  natural  set- 
ting for  a  more  astonishing  human  creation. 

The  approaches  to  Granada  for  more  than  sixty  miles  are 
increasingly  grand.  The  Sierra  Nevada  rise  to  the  south- 
east to  a  height  of  nearly  twelve  thousand  feet,  while  other 
ranges  are  visible  in  every  quarter.  The  city  is  built  on  hills, 
spurs  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  at  a  height  of  more  than  two 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level.  Beneath  is  a  charming 
valley,  continually  watered  by  rains  and  streams  from  the 
Sierras,  the  summits  of  which  are  above  the  snow  line.  The 
ascent  from  the  bed  of  the  river  Darro  to  the  Alhambra  is  a 
steep  climb  by  coach  of  nearly  half  an  hour.  The  prospect  is 
enrapturing;  the  long  line  of  the  Sierras,  occasionally  lost  in 
the  clouds;  the  valley,  smooth  as  a  prairie,  seventy  miles  in 
circumference,  as  green  in  the  last  weeks  of  December  as  New 
England  meadows  in  June,  studded  with  "villas  and  vil- 


THE  ALHAMBRA.  51 

lages;"  the  river,  like  a  thread  of  silver,  winding  through  it, 
and  Granada  itself,  guarded,  as  Jerusalem,  by  the  mountains 
that  were  round  about  it;  with  its  picturesque  white  or  gray 
stone  houses,  tile  roofs,  cathedral,  churches,  towers,  private 
residences  of  varying  heights  and  forms. 

It  is  a  fashion  to  be  disappointed  in  visiting  the  Alhambra, 
and  another  to  write  of  it  in  a  vein  of  disparaging  criticism. 
That  class  of  writers  did  us  a  service;  for  while  they  could 
not  wholly  counteract  the  influence  of  dreams  that  began  with 
childhood,  and  were  recollected  with  pleasure  when  they  had 
begun  to  fade  with  the  dissipation  of  pleasing  illusions,  they 
produced  a  calmness  which  estopped  the  thrill  which  would 
otherwise  have  accompanied  the  first  conscious  approach  to 
the  enchanted  spot.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  experience 
of  others  I  was  not  disappointed.  The  Alhambra,  both  in 
what  it  is  and  in  what  it  requires  of  the  imagination,  transcends 
not  only  the  formulated  expectations,  but  the  vague,  undefin- 
able  fancies  of  the  mind. 

The  Moors,  in  everything  differing  from  the  Greeks  and 
Romans,  never  cared  much  for  the  exterior,  made  it  as  plain 
as  possible;  but  the  interior  revealed,  as  with  a  sudden  burst 
of  sunrise,  a  profusion  and  wealth  of  decoration  which  would 
alike  astonish  and  captivate. 

From  our  hotel,  built  against  the  wall  that  surrounds  the 
Alhambra,  we  entered  the  inclosure  through  wondrous  scen- 
ery; deep  ravines  on  either  hand,  their  sides  covered  with  elm 
trees  a  hundred  feet  high  (presented  by  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton), growing  there  for  three  quarters  of  a  century,  inter- 
spersed with  cherry  trees  which  almost  overtop  them.  These 
trees  are  the  habitation  of  countless  nightingales,  which,  in 
their  seasons,  make  the  slopes  vocal.  Here  and  there  streams 
of  water,  pure  and  translucent  as  rock  crystal,  burst  from  the 
mountain  side. 

Like  the  Kremlin  at  Moscow,  the  Alhambra  is  an  inclosure, 
a  half  mile  long  and  an  eighth  of  a  mile  wide,  of  irregular  con- 
fines. The  Alhambra,  as  the  word  is  generally  used,  occupies 
but  a  small  part  of  it.  The  hill  is  surrounded  by  walls  thirty 
feet  high  and  six  feet  thick,  but  as  the  building  is  on  the  hill- 
side, these  walls  do  not  shut  out  the  view  of  it  from  below  nor 


52  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

obstruct  the  view  from  above.     It  is  cut  off  from  the  mountain 
by  an  artificial  ravine. 

We  entered  by  the  Porch  of  Justice.  Over  the  doorway 
the  name  of  the  founder  is  inscribed,  and  this  Mohammedan 
prayer:  "May  the  Almighty  make  this  a  protecting  bulwark 
and  write  down  its  erection  among  the  imperishable  actions  of 
the  just."  Over  the  outer  arch  a  hand  is  sculptured;  over  the 
inner  a  key.  The  legend  is  that  the  Moors  boasted  that  this 
gate  would  never  open  to  the  Christians  "till  the  hand  took 
the  key."  The  hand  never  took  the  key,  but  the  Chris- 
tians entered  nevertheless.  Then  we  passed  through  the 
fountains,  baths,  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors,  and  the  courts. 
The  supports  in  some  of  the  rooms  are  concealed,  "so  that 
the  apparent  supports,  thin  pillars  and  cashmere,  perforated 
fabric  which  seemed  fairy  work,  appeared  incapable  of  sus- 
taining the  roof."  Divans,  alcoves,  courts  of  oranges,  gar- 
dens filled  with  tropical  vegetation,  in  the  midst  of  the 
building,  with  inscriptions  from  the  Koran  everywhere,  such 
as,  "There  is  no  conqueror  but  Allah,"  culminating  in  the 
Court  of  Lions,  with  its  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  pillars 
of  white  marble,  eleven  feet  high,  upholding  porticoes  on 
each  side,  transformed  the  Arabian  Nights'  entertainments 
into  reality. 

In  one  of  the  private  apartments  of  the  Moorish  kings, 
splendid  in  richness  and  harmony,  a  poem  is  copied  upon 
the  tiles,  one  stanza  of  which  is  thus  translated  by  an  Arabic 
scholar:  "Look  attentively  at  my  elegance  and  reap  the 
benefit  of  a  commentary  on  decoration." 

Who  built  the  Alhambra,  and  why?  A  thousand  years  be- 
fore Christ  the  Phoenicians  had  discovered  the  resources  of 
Spain  and  founded  Cadiz.  Seven  hundred  years  later  the 
Carthaginians,  their  descendants,  had  subjugated  a  large  part 
of  the  peninsula.  Five  hundred  years  subsequently  the  Van- 
dals, after  ravaging  France,  swept  south  through  the  passes  of 
the  Pyrenees  into  Spain,  where  they  settled  permanently. 
Soon  afterward  the  Visigoths  went  from  Italy  by  way  of 
southern  Gaul  into  Spain,  and  there  began  a  series  of  struggles 
with  the  Vandals  and  the  Romans. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  seventh  century  arose  the  most  ter- 


Temple  adjacent  to  the  Court  of  Lions. 


THE  ALHAMBRA. 


55 


rible  power  that  had  ever  appeared  in  modern  history  in 
Asia — Mohammedanism.  In  less  than  seventy-five  years 
after  the  birth  of  Mohammed  the  Saracens  had  overrun  all  the 
lands  between  Armenia  and  Khiva,  and  in  less  than  sixty 
more  possessed  themselves  of  North  Africa,  ravaged  Asia 
Minor,  and  besieged  Constantinople.  About  the  beginning  of 
the  eighth  century  Spain  was  invaded,  the  hordes  crossing  the 
straits  under  Taric,  and  landing  at  Algeciras,  near  Gibraltar. 
Roderick,  the  last  King  of  the  Visigoths,  intercepted  them  at 
Xerez  de  la  Fontera  in  711.  Nine  days  of  battle  were  termi- 
nated by  the  death  of  the  Gothic  king  in  single  combat  with 
Taric.  and  this  gave  the  Mussulmans  the  mastery  over  nearly 
the  whole  of  Spain.  An  independent  Caliphate  was  established 
at  Cordova.  The  name  Alhambra  is  mentioned  for  the  first  time 
after  the  Moors  had  been  in  power  in  Spain  for  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years.  Its  meaning  was  simply  a  "Red  Tower." 

The  first  extraordinary  edifice  was  erected  by  Ibn-1-ahmar, 
in  1248.  He  enlarged  the  former  structures  and  made  an  ad- 
dition, which  he  intended  should  excel  in  grandeur  the  palaces 
of  Bagdad,  Fez,  and  Damascus.  His  successors  erected  new 
buildings,  summoning  the  finest  artists  from  all  parts  of  the. 
world,  and  giving  them  free  access  to  their  treasures.  An 
elegant  mosque  was  built  in  1300;  finally  Yusuf  I,  who  had  such 
stupendous  resources  that  it  was  believed  that  he  could  trans- 
mute other  metals  into  gold,  lavished  so  much  on  the  interior 
that  the  popular  opinion  was  that  the  cost  defied  calcula- 
tion. 

Thus  arose  the  Alhambra,  a  fortress  palace,  in  which  an 
oriental  monarch  was  to  live,  intended  "to  awe  the  city  below 
with  the  forbidding  exterior  of  power,  to  keep  out  heat  and 
enemies,  foreign  and  domestic,  and  to  keep  in  women." 

The  whole  of  Spain  had  not  been  subdued  by  the  Moors. 
Various  kingdoms  were  formed;  Asturias  and  Navarre,  and 
finally  Castile,  being  among  the  most  powerful.  The  central 
kingdom  associated  itself  with  them,  and  waged  continuous 
war.  The  kingdom  of  Aragon  was  spreading  rapidly,  and  the 
Moors  were  restricted  to  Granada.  In  1469,  when  Ferdinand,  of 
Aragon,  married  Isabella,  Queen  of  Castile,  the  consolidation 
of  Spain  into  one  empire  began.  Granada  was  conquered,  and 


56  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

in  1492  the  Moors  were  expelled  from  the  peninsula.  Ferdi- 
nand and  Isabella  resided  for  a  time  in  the  Alhambra,  and  in 
one  of  its  rooms  the  queen  informed  Christopher  Columbus 
that  she  would  support  him  in  his  enterprise. 


Court  of-  the  Myrtles. 

So  soon  as  the  Christians  obtained  control  the  work  of  dev- 
astation commenced.  When  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  departed, 
the  monks  and  soldiers  who  were  left  did  what  they  could  to 
destroy  the  Alhambra.  They  whitewashed  the  open  work, 
coating  some  of  it  so  thick  that  a  pickax  was  required  to  re- 
move it;  stole,  destroyed,  or  sold  the  furniture.  Charles  V 
determined  to  erect  a  palace,  tore  down  a  part  of  the  Alham- 
bra, and  began  a  structure  which  has  never  been  finished. 
From  age  to  age  it  deteriorated,  until  finally  turned  into  an 
asylum  for  debtors  and  state  prisoners.  When  the  French 
took  possession  in  1810  and  1812  they  used  it  for  barracks, 
destroyed  everything  they  could,  and  blew  up  the  mosque, 
which  was  said  to  have  had  no  rival  in  the  world. 


THE  ALHAMBRA.  57 

They  mined  the  entire  structure,  and  would  have  annihilated 
the  last  vestige  of  its  grandeur  if  a  corporal  had  not  put  out 
the  fuses.  After  the  conquest  it  was  offered  to  the  Duke  of 
Wellington,  but  he  preferred  another  place,  which  is  still 
owned  by  his  descendants.  Not  till  1842  did  its  repair  and 
restorations  begin,  but  these  have  since  been  carried  forward 
with  success. 

In  examining  the  registry  of  visitors  we  saw  signatures  of 
the  greatest  interest.  The  first  in  the  collection  was  Washing- 
ton Irving,  May  12,  1829,  whose  room  in  the  Alhambra,  look- 
ing into  a  court  of  oranges  and  palms,  is  now  one  of  the 
"lions."  Irving  did  more  to  rekindle  interest  in  the  Alham- 
bra than  any  other  person.  Then  followed  Caleb  Gushing, 
February  16,  1830,  de  los  Estados  Unidos  de  America;  Caroline 
W.  Gushing.  Here  is  a  name  which  subsequently  was  felt 
around  the  world — Benjamin  Disraeli,  July  31,  1830. 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  describe  the  Alhambra.  Indeed, 
if  Mr.  Richard  Ford,  who  lived  for  a  year  within  it,  and  who 
has  written  the  best  general  book  upon  Spain,  is  to  be  be- 
lieved, I  do  not  understand  it,  having  visited  it  but  three 
times.  He  says:  "To  understand  the  Alhambra  it  must  be 
visited  often  and  alone;  at  night,  when  the  moon  floats  above 
it  in  the  air  like  its  crescent  symbol,  the  tender  beam  tips  the 
filigree  arches,  a  depth  is  given  to  the  shadows  and  a  misty, 
undefined  magnitude  to  the  salons  beyond,  .  .  .  then,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  silence  around,  does  the  fancy  and  imagination 
become  alive.  The  shadows  of  the  cypresses  on  the  walls 
assume  the  form  of  the  dusky  Moor  as,  dressed  in  his  silken 
robes,  he  comes  to  lament  over  the  profanation  of  the  infidel 
and  the  devourment  by  the  destroyer." 


58  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Granada  and  Malaga. 

The  Cartujan  Convent — Its  Beautiful  Church — Cathedral  and  the  Sepul- 
chers  and  Graves  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella — Gypsies — Malaga — Its  Fruit, 
Superb  Scenery — Beggars — Visitors — Midnight  Mass  on  Christmas  Eve — 
Suburbs. 

BESIDES  the  Alhambra  there  are  many  things  to  please 
and  instruct  in  Granada.  The  Generalife  (grounds  of  the 
architect  from  whom  the  Sultan  purchased  the  site  more  than 
five  centuries  ago)  is  noteworthy  for  views,  gleaming  streams, 
elevation  above  the  Alhambra — the  latter  appearing  more 
like  a  fortress  from  that  point  than  from  any  other;  for  carved 
doors,  arches,  and  arabesques;  aged  and  immense  cypresses, 
and  raised  gardens,  with  flights  of  Italian  steps  through  which 
fountains  play.  Above  the  Generalife  stretches  a  chain  of 
hills,  over  which  we  took  a  long  stroll,  attaining  a  point  nearly 
a  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  Granada. 

The  Cartujan  convent  contains  one  of  the  finest  pictures  by 
Alonzo  Cano,  on  the  roll  of  Spain's  greatest  artists,  and  has  a 
church  inlaid  with  tortoise  shell,  ebony,  and  cedar  wood. 

There  we  were  permitted  to  try  some  experiments  for  the 
purpose  of  ascertaining  how  much  the  voices  of  the  priests  are 
affected  by  the  echoes  produced  in  the  vast  expanses  of  hol- 
low domes,  naves,  and  transepts.  Our  previous  opinion,  that 
a  voice  which  would  not  attract  special  attention  in  an  ordi- 
nary church  of  a  rectangular  form,  with  stationary  seats,  will  in 
a  cathedral  be  greatly  magnified,  was  fully  confirmed;  for  on 
singing  the  Doxology  in  English,  a  language  unknown  to  the 
custodian,  we  were  almost  appalled  by  the  tremendous  volume 
of  sound. 

In  Granada  is  the  cage  in  which  San  Juan  de  Dios  was  con- 
fined as  a  lunatic  for  preaching  the  necessity  of  "  Foundling 
Hospitals."  He  died  in  1550,  and  was  canonized  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years  afterward ! 


GRANADA  AND  MALAGA. 


61 


The  gypsy  quarters  greatly  interest  travelers.  These,  the 
strangest  of  half-civilized  human  beings,  live  in  caves.  It  was 
astonishing  to  find  a  suite  of  rooms  excavated  in  the  side  of  a 
hill,  without  ventilation,  except  through  a  single  front  door, 
filled  with  an  atmosphere  apparently  as  pure  as  that  of  a  well- 
ventilate^  dwelling.  There  were  very  few  such;  most  were 


Gypsy  Quarters  in  Granada. 

dens  of  filth,  the  habits  of  the  occupants  being  less  cleanly 
than  those  of  wild  beasts.  Their  demands  for  money  were 
vociferous  and  persistent,  and  a  stranger  of  timid  disposition 
wandering  among  them  might  be  in  danger. 

The  Cathedral  of  Granada  is  not  remarkable  in  comparison 
with  those  of  Toledo  and  Seville,  but  the  Capilla  Real,  which 
contains  carved  effigies  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  exactly 


62  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

re presenting  their  faces,  forms,  and  costumes,  and  the  magnifi- 
cent Carrara  marble  sepulchers,  upon  which  are  extended  life- 
size  figures,  and  their  graves  beneath,  which  have  never  been 
disturbed,  receive  merited  reverence  both  from  the  Spanish 
people  and  foreigners.  Here  we  saw  the  box  in  which  were 
kept  the  jewels  hypothecated  by  Isabella  to  raise  the  money  to 
equip  Columbus.  Those  jewels  lighted  the  path  to  a  new 
world. 

Our  route  after  leaving  Granada  was  direct  to  Malaga.  As 
we  drew  near  the  end  of  the  journey,  the  tunnels,  precipices, 
overhanging  cliffs,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  made  the 
stars  seem  as  lanterns  waved  by  mountaineers  signaling  each 
other.  Malaga,  on  a  bay  of  the  Mediterranean,  protected  by 
these  mountains,  exhibits  almost  tropical  scenery.  It  seemed 
like  midsummer,  yet  the  people  were  preparing  for  Christmas, 
and  the  market  was  filled  with  fov;l  of  every  kind,  oranges, 
figs,  lemons,  raisins,  quinces,  melons,  pomegranates,  olives, 
tomatoes,  eggplants,  oysters,  and  fish,  in  which  soles,  red 
mullets,  and  sardines  were  conspicuous.  For  three  days,  Sun- 
day not  excepted,  the  clamor  of  hucksters  never  ceased  until 
the  small  hours,  and  began  again  long  before  daybreak.  A 
multitude  of  hideous  beggars  could  be  seen — blind,  scrofulous, 
and  verminous.  If  a  half  dozen  hospitals  had  been  burned  in 
a  night  and  the  patients  turned  loose,  with  the  inmates  of  a 
lunatic  asylum  included,  loathsome  creatures  would  hardly 
have  been  more  numerous.  Blind  asylums  appear  to  be  com- 
paratively unknown,  though  the  habits  of  the  people  and  the 
climate  in  the  southern  part  tend  to  increase  the  number  of 
those  deprived  of  sight.  At  almost  every  station  sightless 
eyes,  or  sockets  without  eyes,  were  turned  up,  accompanied  by 
noisy  appeals  for  relief. 

Malaga  has  few  monuments  of  antiquity  and  few  public 
buildings  of  importance  ;  but  its  climate,  harbor,  vessels, 
and  its  somewhat  cosmopolitan  population;  its  relation  to 
Mediterranean  travel;  its  numerous  visitors  from  northern 
Europe  who  come  to  escape  the  rigors  of  winter;  and  its 
famous  oranges  and  raisins,  make  it  a  pleasant  resting  place. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Colonel  Marston,  the  American 
consul,  we  received  an  invitation  to  visit  the  studio  of  Caba- 


GRANADA  AND  MALAGA.  63 

nerro,  one  of  the  first  of  the  younger  artists  of  Spain.  A 
superb  picture  had  just  been  accepted  by  the  government  for 
the  Senate  Chamber,  and  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars 
appropriated  as  his  compensation.  The  painting,  which  had 
just  received  the  finishing  touches,  occupied  the  entire  side  of 
the  large  studio,  and  represented  a  scene  of  hundreds  of  years 
ago,  when  the  King  of  Spain  appeared  at  the  court  of  the  sul- 
tan in  Constantinople  to  offer  him  his  troops.  The  sultan, 
the  commanding  officers,  and  the  fierce,  swarthy  men  of  Ara- 
gon  were  depicted  with  startling  vividness.  Great  local  in- 
terest had  been  aroused  by  the  painter's  taking  some  of  his 
models  from  the  faces  of  living  residents  of  Malaga. 

Everyone  recommended  us  to  attend  the  midnight  mass  in 
the  cathedral  on  Christmas  Eve.  The  people  of  Malaga  attend 
services  on  this  day  in  much  larger  numbers  than  on  Sundays 
and  other  feast  days.  It  was  estimated  that  more  than  five 
thousand  were  in  the  building.  As  our  party  advanced  the 
organ  and  choir  pealed  forth  a  volume  of  sound  which  made 
the  massive  walls  ring  again.  Besides  the  multitude  standing, 
a  thousand  worshipers  in  front  of  the  high  altar  were  upon 
their  knees.  These  consisted  exclusively  of  women,  not  a 
man  in  the  vast  assembly  could  be  seen  kneeling. 

In  all  parts  of  the  building  irreverence  was  manifested. 
When  the  Host  was  elevated  the  people  mechanically  crossed 
themselves,  but,  at  the  same  moment,  there  began  a  struggle 
on  the  part  of  the  women  to  get  nearer.  They  jabbered  at 
each  other,  pushed  and  crowded,  and  fairly  fought  for  places, 
all  the  while,  however,  except  a  few  of  the  more  fierce,  laugh- 
ing. Men  generally  were  more  irreverent  in  their  deportment 
than  women.  The  aspect  was  that  of  a  show  and  people  in- 
tent upon  making  the  most  of  it.  An  epidemic  of  laughter 
finally  spread  over  the  entire  assembly,  and  what  should  have 
been  a  solemn  scene  became  a  caricature  of  devotion.  As 
the  celebrating  priest  was  feeble,  the  mass  was  read  by  three 
priests  in  unison,  whose  united  voices  were  not  easily  heard  in 
the  remoter  parts  of  the  edifice. 

A  Catholic  citizen,  when  asked  concerning  the  music,  replied 
that  it  was  supposed  to  be  "the  very  melody  sung  by  the 
angels  at  the  birth  of  our  Lord. "  It  was  not,  however,  stated 


64  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

that  the  shepherds  who  heard  the  song  understood  musical 
notation,  and  that  one  had  a  tablet  with  him  and  took  down 
the  notes  ! 

In  the  presence  of  the  entire  assembly,  during  a  part  of  the 
performance,  an  assistant  availed  himself  of  the  opportunity 
for  a  nap,  and  one  of  the  brothers  awoke  him.  I  record  this 
merely  as  a  fact,  having  seen  a  Protestant  minister  asleep  in 
the  pulpit  when  a  bishop  was  preaching.  When  the  service 
was  over  the  struggle  was  fearful.  The  crowd,  now  a  turbu- 
lent mob,  pushed  and  elbowed  its  way  out. 

While  in  Malaga  we  called  on  Senor  Vila,  Pastor  of  the 
Spanish  Protestant  Church,  a  man  of  force,  intelligence,  and 
courage  unexampled.  For  the  offense  of  vindicating  his 
work  against  the  aspersions  of  priests  he  was  heavily  fined, 
and  condemned  to  imprisonment  for  two  years,  the  execution 
of  which  part  of  the  sentence  was  indefinitely  delayed. 

Among  the  walks  and  rides  taken  in  Malaga  and  its  suburbs 
a  visit  to  the  sugar  cane  fields  should  not  be  forgotten.  Here 
the  cane  grows  in  a  few  places  as  luxuriantly  as  in  Louisiana, 
and  almost  as  much  so  as  in  the  West  Indies.  The  children 
are  as  happy  when  they  get  sticks  of  sugar  cane  to  suck  as 
they  are  in  colder  climates  on  receiving  a  box  of  confectionery; 
judging  from  what  we  saw  it  has  some  decided  advantages,  for 
a  stick  two  or  three  feet  long  will  give  linked  sweetness  long 
drawn  in  and  keep  the  urchins  quiet  until  excess  of  sweets 
brings  on  the  usual  results. 

Driving  for  an  hour  up  the  dry  bed  of  the  river  we  reached 
the  estate  of  the  Marquis  of  Casa  Loring.  The  Spanish  Lor- 
ings,  a  branch  of  the  Massachusetts  family  of  that  name,  have 
attained  great  wealth  and  rank  in  Spain.  Almost  all  the  rail- 
roads were  built  under  the  superintendence  of  the  oldest  mem- 
ber; a  title  has  been  conferred  upon  him,  and  his  estates  at 
Madrid,  Malaga,  and  elsewhere  are  among  the  finest.  The 
members  of  the  family,  having  married  into  ancient  Spanish 
families  and  embraced  the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  are  allied 
with  the  aristocrats  of  the  kingdom.  This  estate  is  noted  for 
the  beauty  and  luxuriance  of  its  vegetation.  An  enraptured 
writer  mingles  his  figures  by  saying  that  it  and  an  adjoining 
one  of  San  Jose,  the  property  of  Don  Tomas  Heredia,  "Are 


GRANADA  AND  MALAGA.  65 

beautiful  oases  in  the  sea  of  sun-gilt  hills  surrounding  Mal- 
aga." We  visited  both  these  estates.  The  view  from  the 
Marquis  of  Lor  ing's  place  is  finer  than  any  prospect  from 
the  other,  and  in  a  small  temple  of  Grecian  style,  on  the 
grounds,  are  many  Roman  remains  collected  from  the  neigh- 
boring villages.  Tablets,  containing  remarkable  specimens 
of  Roman  municipal  law,  are  exhibited  in  this  museum. 
But  the  charm  of  both  places  is  the  variety  and  profusion 
of  subtropical  and  tropical  plants,  vegetables,  and  trees,  which 
make  them  horticultural  gardens,  where  one  may  see  the  prod- 
ucts of  all  climates  except  the  coldest.  Here  were  immense  fig 
trees,  countless  orange  trees  bending  under  the  weight  of  their 
fruit,  interspersed  with  the  paler  lemon;  date  palms  reared 
their  lofty  heads,  and  in  some  instances  the  clusters  needing 
support.  Magnificent  bamboos  and  palms,  whose  annual  rings 
indicated  their  age,  lined  the  avenues.  The  female  date  palms 
were  much  more  numerous  than  the  male,  the  former  bearing 
all  the  fruit.  Extraordinary  specimens  of  the  cactus,  with 
groves  of  the  eucalyptus,  introduced  from  Australia  to  counter- 
act the  causes  of  malaria,  are  prominent  features  of  the  land- 
scape. With  apple  and  pear  trees,  vines,  fountains,  artificial 
lakes,  streams  gurgling  from  the  hills — in  fine,  here  was  every- 
thing that  nature  and  art  could  produce  to  make  basking  places 
for  weary  travelers  or  indolent  loiterers  in  life's  dusty  path. 
The  hothouse  seemed  to  me  a  blemish,  calling  attention  to 
the  limitations  of  the  otherwise  Edenic  situation. 

The  Heredias  are  proprietors  of  the  long-established  iron 
works,  the  most  important  industry  of  Malaga.  The  family 
are  devoted  Catholics. 

We  spent  Christmas  in  Malaga,  struggling  against  the  trav- 
eler's gloom,  which  attacks  almost  everyone  absent  from 
home  and  friends,  but  is  most  acute  on  festal  days.  While  all 
were  giving  and  receiving  presents,  the  only  attention  bestowed 
upon  us  was  by  hotel  waiters  hoping  for  fees,  and  beggars 
seeking  alms. 


66  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Peculiarities  of  the  Spaniards. 

Aspect  of  Spanish  People — Spectacles  in  Squares  and  Streets — Spanish  Polite- 
ness Amu-emeu ts — Morals — Lotteries — Women — Guardias  Civiles— Reli- 
gion, Catholic  and  Protestant. 

HOWEVER  long  the  visit,  unless  the  traveler  becomes  a  resi- 
dent, mastering  the  language,  and  associating  with  the  people, 
he  must  be  at  a  disadvantage  when  he  attempts  to  describe  in- 
dividual character  or  social  condition.  Yet  foreign  residents 
often  hold  diverse  opinions  of  the  same  things.  The  system 
adopted  by  me  in  studying  the  people  of  a  country,  is  to  read 
what  travelers  and  standard  authors  have  written ;  to  observe 
all  classes  attentively;  to  converse  with  all  who  are  accessible; 
to  communicate  with  foreign  residents,  consuls,  merchants, 
students;  to  ask  questions,  comparing  the  answers;  and  finally 
to  submit  the  conclusions  to  intelligent  natives  who  under- 
stand English,  and  to  foreigners  of  different  nationalities  who 
have  long  lived  in  the  country. 

The  aspect  of  the  people  of  Spain  differs  in  different  parts 
as  the  inhabitants  had  a  diverse  ancestry.  The  climate  of  the 
north  is  cold,  scenery  stern,  conditions  of  life  hard;  that  of 
the  south  is  mild,  its  fruits  and  prospects  those  of  perpetual 
summer,  its  life  in  the  open  air  and  its  costumes  picturesque. 
Hut  all  classes  have  intermarried,  and  removals  to  common 
centers  have  increased,  until  now  in  the  streets  of  the  cities 
every  variety  that  could  result  from  the  admixture  of  the 
original  population  with  the  Goths,  Moors,  Romans,  Greeks, 
and  Phoenicians  appears. 

While  two  thirds  of  the  people  have  the  Spanish  type,  one  in 
three  looks  as  much  like  an  Englishman  or  an  American  as 
the  majority  of  the  natives  of  those  countries, having  the  lighter 
complexion  and  even  the  same  general  expression  of  counte- 
nance. 

As   the   Spaniards  make   greater  use   of    promenades,  ride. 


PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  SPANIARDS.  67 

walk,  and  sit  in  public  more  than  any  other  people,  the  spec- 
tacles in  the  squares  and  streets  are  always  pleasing;  not  less 
so  is  village  life  where  there  is  more  regard  for  ease  and  less 
care  for  mere  show.  I  did  not  expect  to  see  many  instances  in 
the  capital  and  larger  cities,  of  the  picturesque  national  dresses, 
and  was  agreeably  surprised.  Though  many  of  the  upper 
classes  wear  high  hats  like  Englishmen  or  Frenchmen,  and 
ladies  have  laid  aside  veils  and  mantillas,  the  cloak  without 
the  cape  is  still  much  used  by  gentlemen  who,  for  the  most 
part,  have  renounced  the  gay  colors. 

The  middle  classes,  especially  persons  somewhat  advanced 
in  years,  wear  the  cloak  and  cape,  with  red,  and  other  bright 
velvet  linings. 

Spaniards  are  very  polite;  even  beggars  salute  one  another 
as  though  they  were  grandees.  But  though  the  grandiloquent 
style  in  which  they  accost  one  another  provokes  a  smile,  the 
manner  in  which  "  General,"  "Colonel,"  "Squire,"  "  Major," 
' '  Judge, "  ' '  Doctor, "  ' '  Professor, "  and  degrees  of  all  kinds  are 
sought  and  used,  and  even  inscribed  on  visiting  cards  in  the 
United  States,  should  prevent  us  from  thinking  meanly  of 
the  Spaniards  for  a  manifestation  of  a  weakness  of  human 
nature  which  no  form  of  government  or  religion  has  yet  been 
able  to  eradicate  or  materially  diminish. 

We  did  not  find  the  custom  of  taking  off  the  hat  in  entering 
banks,  offices,  and  stores  as  universal  as  represented.  In  many 
places,  perhaps  under  the  influence  of  foreign  trade,  we  were 
embarrassed,  not  by  the  excess,  but  by  the  lack  of  such  polite- 
ness as  is  common  even  in  America.  Still  even  in  this  day  it 
is  not  an  easy  or  brief  task  to  equal  Spaniards  in  greeting,  foi 
they  are  never  in  a  hurry. 

Much  of  this  politeness  is  superficial.  The  offers  made  are 
expected  to  be  declined,  and  a  writer  in  praising  Spanish 
courtesy  is  obliged  to  say  that  "  Spaniards,  although  they  sel- 
dom bid  a  foreigner  [as  guest],  will  accept  his  bidding." 

When  they  address  the  man  by  his  last  name  he  is  Senor, 
as  Senor  de  Garcia;  if  the  Christian  name  is  used  Don  is  em- 
ployed, as  Don  Ferdinand  Garcia.  Formerly  Don  was  equiv- 
alent to  Sir  as  used  in  England,  as  Sir  William  Jones;  now  it 
is  applied  to  everyone,  and  there  is  an  old  proverb  that  Don 
5 


68  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

without  din  (money)  does  not  amount  to  anything.  The 
Spaniards  hate  abruptness,  address  each  other  as  Caballero, 
and  abound  in  such  phrases  as  "Please  tell  me,"  "Be 
so  kind."  Those  who  neglect  these  things  give  offense. 
Beggars  that  swarm  everywhere  are  refused  in  a  manner  which 
illustrates  the  superficial  character  of  many  of  the  phrases  in 
use.  When  they  become  annoying  the  Spaniard  says,  "  My 
brother,  will  you  excuse  me,  for  God's  sake?  "  or  he  tells  him 
that  (rod  will  take  care  of  him,  and  he  may  say  this  while  he 
is  anathematizing  him  to  his  companion. 

Amusements  consist  largely  of  music,  dancing,  and  festivals. 

"  There  ne'er  was  born  a  Spanish  woman  yet, 
But  she  was  born  to  dance." 

Everyone  dances,  and  the  music  is  chiefly  adapted  to  it.  The 
guitar  is  the  most  popular  instrument.  Castanets  and  tam- 
bourines are  used  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  and  in 
churches  on  special  occasions.  In  southern  Spain  one  could 
rarely  pass  out  of  hearing  of  the  tones  of  the  guitar  in  the 
evenings.  The  lower  classes  could  be  seen  dancing  without 
reserve. 

The  Spaniards  turn  everything  into  an  occasion  for  a  holi- 
day, and  each  holiday  into  a  festival.  Every  phjfce  has  its 
saint,  processions,  and  pilgrimages,  almost  all  degenerating 
into  picnics.  The  catalogue  for  the  year  of  such  days  is 
almost  as  appalling  as  in  Russia,  interfering  with  business  and 
reducing  the  legitimate  income  of  the  nation,  as  well  as  in- 
creasing its  expenditures  to  an  almost  unsupportable  extent. 

The  people  are  the  most  persistent  and  excessive  smokers. 
Little  boys  of  eight  or  ten  years  of  age  smoke,  and  in  all 
places  except  the  church  men  were  always  indulging.  They 
pay  no  regard  to  the  presence  of  women.  Few  apartments  on 
the  trains,  even  ^/-.y/-class,  are  reserved  for  the  use  of  non- 
smokers;  but  everywhere  fumes  arise.  The  Spaniard  smokes 
while  he  is  shaving,  when  he  is  in  the  opera,  and  when  in  his 
place  in  the  Cortes.  Upon  health  the  effect  is  bad.  It  is 
very  difficult  to  find  Spaniards  who  do  not  complain  of  some 
malady.  Dyspepsia  and  nervous  diseases,  including  spasmodic 
affections,  are  common. 


PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  SPANIARDS.  69 

The  standard  of  morals  is  not  high.  By  this  it  is  not  in- 
tended to  indorse  the  extravagant  imputations  upon  the  women, 
nor  to  imply  that  every  Spaniard  is  untruthful,  unclean,  or  dis- 
honest. Spaniards  are  not  especially  intemperate  in  the  use 
of  alcohol,  and  drunkenness,  though  seen,  is  not  frequent.  We 
looked  for  it  in  places  and  at  times  which  would  certainly  have 
revealed  much  were  it  general.  They  eat  and  drink  less  than 
any  other  nation  in  Europe.  But  they  are  devoted  to  lotteries, 
and  next  to  beggars,  the  venders  of  lottery  tickets  are  the 
greatest  nuisances  encountered.  Of  this  business  the  govern- 
ment has  a  monopoly.  The  report  of  the  United  States  consul 
at  Madrid  speaks  of  the  evil  effects  of  the  institution,  and  in 
showing  the  final  results  to  the  government,  he  says  that  this 
method  of  raising  money  is  alike  paltry  and  pernicious.  It  is 
the  working  classes  who  are  most  injured,  for  by  it  their  heads 
are  filled  with  ideas  of  suddenly  accumulating  riches. 

Bribery  is  general;  most  public  officials  being  so  dishonest 
that  it  is  a  common  saying  that  anything  can  be  done  by 
bribery,  and  nothing  in  the  regular  way.  Mayors  of  cities 
grow  rich  in  a  year.  One,  at  least,  of  the  most  important 
cities  is  utterly  destitute  of  credit.  Spaniards  so  distrust  each 
other  that  money  is  not  forthcoming  for  great  public  works. 
The  English  manage  the  waterworks,  the  street  cars,  and 
almost  everything  else.  It  has  been  remarked  that  a  distinc- 
tion must  be  made  between  the  Spaniard  in  his  individual  and 
in  his  collective  capacity,  and  still  more  in  an  official  one; 
"  to  him  as  an  individual  you  may  trust  your  life,  fair  fame,  and 
purse,  but  in  his  corporate  capacity,  either  business  or  official, 
as  he  trusts  nobody,  he  has  been  willing  to  float  down  the 
turbid  stream  like  the  rest." 

In  southern  Spain  women  are  spoken  of  in  a  manner  which 
shows  how  low  the  standard  of  virtue  is.  Foundling  asylums 
are  numerous,  and,  as  in  Russia,  no  questions  are  asked  when 
those  "conceived  in  sin  and  born  in  iniquity"  are  presented 
for  admission.  A  Spaniard,  not  a  Protestant,  who  abominated 
the  whole  system  remarked  to  me  that  the  proper  inscription 
for  those  buildings  is,  "Violations  of  the  Seventh  Command- 
ment Made  Easy." 

The  disposition  of  the  average  Spaniard  is  fiery  and  vindic- 


jo  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

live.  The  long  knife  is  quickly  drawn.  A  courteous  request, 
couched  in  flattering  words,  "especially  a  silver  key  "  propor- 
tioned in  weight  to  the  social  standing  of  the  person  to  whom 
it  is  applied,  will  secure  anything  within  his  power  to  be- 
stow; but  it  is  in  vain  to  attempt  either  to  drive  or  to  hurry 
a  Spaniard.  Their  great  word  is  "  manana"  "to-morrow, 
to-morrow. " 

Violence,  robbery,  and  insecurity  of  life  and  property  have 
given  place  to  comparative  security.  Besides  the  local  police 
and  ordinary  means  of  preserving  order,  there  is  a  body  of 
men,  consisting  of  twenty  thousand  foot,  and  five  thousand 
horse  guards,  called  Guardias  Civiles,  to  distinguish  them 
from  military  and  naval  guards.  They  are  recruited  from 
long-service  men  in  the  army,  and  from  the  military  college, 
where  are  educated  for  the  force  the  orphan  children  of  such 
guards  as  have  died  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty.  They  are 
assigned  in  couples  to  every  town  and  village,  and  in  small 
barracks  along  the  highroads  in  larger  numbers  throughout 
all  Spain.  The  uniform  is  dark  blue,  with  light  yellow  belts. 
Two  meet  every  train  at  every  station,  and  the  law  requires 
them  in  patrolling  the  roads  to  walk  at  least  twelve  paces 
apart,  so  as  not  to  be  surprised  simultaneously.  The  cav- 
alry carry  swords,  revolvers,  and  short  guns^  the  foot  sol- 
diers Remington  rifles  with  bayonets,  and  sometimes  other 
weapons.  The  men  must  be  five  feet  eight  inches  high,  and 
every  member  of  the  force  is  able  to  read  and  write.  We  saw 
hundreds  of  them,  everywhere  picturesque  and  noble  figures. 
They  have  destroyed  the  organized  robbers  that  made  travel 
dangerous,  and  are  in  readiness  to  check  the  slightest  disturb- 
ance. Yet  in  many  places  the  knife  is  a  too  convenient 
weapon.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  in  Malaga,  in  street 
fights,  for  men  to  draw  long,  murderous  knives,  and  begin  to 
cut  each  other  to  pieces.  The  police,  when  there  is  a  fight  of 
that  kind,  keep  out  of  the  way;  for  when  the  Spaniards  are 
heated  with  passion  or  wine,  they  are  liable  to  turn  upon  the 
officers  of  the  law  and  make  an  end  of  them  quickly. 

Lack  of  suitable  institutions  for  paupers  accounts  for  the 
horrible  cases  which  constantly  offend  the  eye.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  if  all  such  cases  detained  in  institutions  in 


PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  SPANIARDS.  71 

the  United  States  were  turned  into  the  streets,  our  own 
country  would  present  a  similar  appearance.  In  the  treat- 
ment of  lunacy  Spain  is  behind  other  nations.  The  number 
of  ascertained  lunatics  is  small.  While  the  climate  tends 
to  develop  fierce,  warlike,  and  excitable  natures,  it  also 
produces  an  indolence  which,  together  with  practical  philoso- 
phy of  postponement,  causes  speculations,  ambitions,  political 
passions  "to  effervesce  like  champagne  and  then  collapse." 
Many  of  the  inmates  of  such  asylums  as  exist  are  criminals, 
who  should  be  punished;  and  many  wandering  beggars  are 
lunatics  who  should  be  placed  under  restraint.  Though  still 
behind  other  countries,  the  people  of  Spain  are  certainly 
improving. 

A  Roman  priest  of  high  standing  wrote  that,  "owing  to 
the  national  temper  of  Spain,  Catholicism  in  that  country  be- 
came the  most  intolerant  and  cruel  form  that  Christianity 
has  ever  assumed."  It  is  certainly  at  the  present  time  more 
superstitious  and  severe  toward  dissenters  than  in  any  other 
European  country. 

Notwithstanding  this,  priests  as  a  class  are  notoriously 
frivolous  and  profligate.  The  hardest  things  we  heard  said 
of  them  came  from  Catholics,  nor  would  any  Protestant  dare 
to  speak  publicly  of  them  so  disparagingly  as  do  their  own 
people.  The  wife  of  a  foreign  consul,  herself  a  Catholic, 
declared  that  "there  were  but  three  or  four  priests  in  the 
entire  Church  in  that  city  to  whom  an  honest  woman  could 
confess."  The  people  consider  the  confessional,  chiefly  fre- 
quented by  women,  as  an  organized  institution  for  the  pollu- 
tion of  the  family. 

Not  until  1868  did  religious  freedom,  guaranteed  in  theory, 
become  anything  more  than  an  unfulfilled  promise.  At  that 
time  the  Protestant  world  was  roused  to  hope  and  ardor 
by  the  reports  from  Spain.  Various  Churches  at  once  sent 
missionaries,  and  volunteers  were  not  wanting  who  of  their 
own  motion,  or  under  the  direction  of  self-originated  com- 
mittees, hastened  into  the  field — a  few  with,  but  most  with- 
out, a  knowledge  of  the  language.  In  various  sections  they 
were  welcomed  with  every  manifestation  of  interest.  The 
promise,  however,  was  not  sustained.  The  burial  of  the 


72  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

dead  and  visitation  of  the  sick  constantly  appealed  in  behalf 
of  the  established  Church.  Though  a  man  had  determined 
to  become  a  Protestant,  his  wife,  mother,  and  sister  would 
resist  it  to  the  last.  Horror  of  being  refused  burial  in 
consecrated  ground  was  constantly  before  the  sick;  the  taunt 
of  changing  religion  on  every  lip;  and  a  variety  of  petty  per- 
secutions began,  especially  in  the  towns,  villages,  and  country 
districts. 

Those  who  crowded  to  hear  evangelical  preachers,  regard- 
ing them  as  symbols  of  a  revolt  against  monarchy,  and  who 
at  first  were  prone  to  say,  "Why,  I  believe  as  you  say;  put 
my  name  down  to  join  your  church;  I  am  with  you," 
when  they  heard  of  conversion,  and  were  solemnly  warned 
that  no  priest  could  absolve  them,  but  God  only,  lost  interest 
in  the  movement,  and  speedily  fell  away.  All  the  middle 
classes,  and  those  of  the  higher  who  began  to  show  any  in- 
terest in  Protestantism,  experienced  the  force  of  social  odium. 
So  hostile  is  the  atmosphere  that  those  who  attempt  to  move 
in  society  in  Spain  must  not  avow  themselves  Protestants. 

Here  is  an  instance.  An  English  lady,  residing  in  one  of 
the  chief  cities  in  southern  Spain,  her  husband  having  a  large 
business  there,  was  in  the  habit  of  giving  receptions,  which 
were  numerously  attended  by  the  elif\^  She  was  not  a 
Romanist,  but  had  not  affiliated  herself  with  the  Protestant 
church  in  the  place.  During  her  absence  in  England  in  the 
summer,  it  was  rumored,  though  falsely,  that  she  intended  to 
connect  herself  with  the  Protestant  church  on  her  return 
in  the  autumn.  When  she  came  back,  knowing  nothing  of 
this  rumor,  she  issued  cards  for  a  reception  as  before,  and  not 
one  Spaniard  of  the  many  invited  attended. 

Protestant  congregations  for  worship  are  small,  the  largest 
scarcely  numbering  one  hundred  and  fifty,  including  all  the 
children  in  the  schools,  most  of  them  being  much  smaller 
than  that.  Yet,  from  the  point  of  view  of  a  lover  of 
liberty  for  both  Catholic  and  Protestant,  there  are  several 
things  which  more  than  justify  the  effort.  To  have  seen  a 
Protestant  school  in  the  house  in  which  Philip  II  lived  while 
the  Kscorial  was  building;  to  have  heard  the  singing  of 
Protestant  hymns  in  the  city  in  which  thousands  were  con- 


PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  SPANIARDS.  73 

demned  "to  the  pleasant  death  of  the  stake;"  to  have 
listened  to  plain  Protestant  preaching  within  fifteen  minutes' 
walk  of  the  very  spot  where  the  Inquisition  was  established; 
to  have  tracts  on  "the  way  of  salvation"  thrust  into  one's 
hands  in  a  street  along  which  wild  huzzas  of  fiendish  joy  filled 
the  air  when  a  woman  was  brought  forth  to  be  burned'  for  her 
allegiance  to  Christ,  and  to  hear  a  Gospel  sermon  where  first 
the  pagan,  afterward  the  Mohammedan,  then  the  Catholic  de- 
clared that  nothing  other  than  what  he  believed  should  be 
taught  or  believed — surely  this,  to  everyone  who,  whatever  his 
creed  may  be,  rejoices  in  human  progress,  is  something  worth 
tossing  to  and  fro  upon  stormy  seas,  and  traveling  weary  miles 
on  land  to  do,  to  see,  to  hear,  and  to  feel ! 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Bullfights  of  Spain. 

Popularity   of  Bullfights — Cost — Description — Attempts    to   Suppress — Atti- 
tude of  the  Church. 

BULLFIGHTS  were  never  more  popular  than  they  are  to-day, 
and  for  twenty  years  have  been  increasing  in  influence,  ex- 
travagance, and  numbers  attending.  The  theater  occupies  a 
secondary  place,  not  only  in  the  feelings  of  the  lower,  but  in 
the  sentiments  of  the  upper  classes.  Not  that  the  people  of 
Spain  love  the  theater  less,  but  they  love  the  bullfights  far 
more.  "^ 

Barcelona  has  opera  houses  and  theaters,  one  of  which  holds 
four  thousand  persons,  and  disputes  with  three  or  four  other 
cities  for  the  honor  of  having  the  largest  in  Europe.  But  the 
bull  ring  is  twice  as  large  as  the  theater,  and  Barcelona  is 
proud  of  its  fights,  equal  to  those  of  any  city  in  Spain,  except 
Valencia  and  Madrid.  At  Madrid  the  bull  ring  will  seat 
twelve  thousand  seven  hundred  persons,  and  is  a  wonderful 
structure,  to  explore  which  consumed  an  afternoon.  It  is 
built  in  the  style  of  an  ancient  Roman  circus,  and  in  it  the 
most  famous  fights  take  place.  The  highest  salaries  are  paid, 
"and  the  most  distinguished  professionals  employed."  The 
bulls  are  specially  bred  in  the  finest  pastures. 

On  Easter  Sunday,  a  few  minutes  after  the  gorgeous  pa- 
geants in  the  churches  and  cathedrals  are  at  an  end,  the  season 
commences.  The  succeeding  Sundays  are  bull  days  until  the 
heat  of  dog  days  enervates  man  and  beast.  There  is  a  second 
season  in  the  autumn.  Performances  begin  about  half  past 
four  in  the  afternoon,  and  last  two  or  three  hours;  a  good  seat 
costs  one  dollar  and  a  half. 

The  ring  of  Malaga  is  of  extraordinary  size  and  located  in 
the  best  part  of  the  city.  At  Salamanca,  where  the  University 
is  practically  in  a  state  of  collapse,  the  ring  is  very  prosperous. 


THE  BULLFIGHTS  OF  SPAIN.  .    77 

The  bullfights  of  Valencia  are  famous,  and  as  is  generally  the 
case  the  ring  belongs  to  the  trustees  of  the  hospital.  It  seats 
fifteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-one  persons.  Well  has 
it  been  remarked  that  it  is  in  harmony  with  reason  that  the 
trustees  of  the  hospitals  should  own  these  buildings,  for  the 
fever  excited  in  the  people  and  the  accidents  furnish  patients 
as  well  as  funds.  The  fights  in  Valencia  are  considered  by 
many  second  only  to  those  of  Madrid. 

Seville  is  called  the  alma  mater  of  the  ring,  because  in  the 
opinion  of  those  who  have  investigated  the  matter,  the  bull  ring, 
though  based  on  Roman  institutions,  as  it  now  is  "is  indu- 
bitably a  thing  devised  by  the  Moors  of  Spain,  for  those  in 
Africa  have  neither  the  sport,  the  ring,  nor  the  recollection." 
At  Seville  the  ring  is  of  stone,  occupies  a  conspicuous  place 
on  the  banks  of  the  Guadalquivir,  and  will  seat  eleven  thou- 
sand. 

Near  Cordova,  in  the  famous  pastures,  we  saw  thousands  of 
bulls,  and  as  the  country  is  without  fences,  except  here  and 
there  a  wall  to  keep  together  those  that  have  been  selected  for 
the  approaching  fights,  the  scene  resembled  the  Western  plains 
before  the  buffalo  had  been  exterminated. 

Each  exhibition  costs  from  fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand 
dollars.  The  day  before  the  spectacle  the  bulls  are  brought 
to  the  town,  causing  intense  excitement.  The  people  dress  in 
their  best,  and  all  classes  are  so  wrought  up  that  they  can 
hardly  contain  themselves.  Formerly  only  gentlemen  fought; 
now  none  but  professionals.  Seville  and  the  whole  of  southern 
Spain  were  in  a  state  of  ferment  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  pre- 
paring for  a  bullfight  of  extraordinary  magnificence,  the  pro- 
ceeds to  be  given  to  the  widow  of  a  man  who  had  been  killed 
in  the  ring  some  time  before.  It  was  expected  that  she  would 
receive  at  least  ten  thousand  dollars.  We  saw  the  bulls  in 
special  cars,  drawn  by  horses  and  guarded  by  officials. 

The  bullfight  is  always  the  same.  The  opening  is  an- 
nounced with  pomp.  The  president  takes  his  seat  in  a  box 
in  the  center,  and  the  performers  pass  before  him  in  pro- 
cession. These  consist  of  picadors,  who  carry  spears,  ride 
on  horses,  advance  and  receive  the  bull's  attack,  for  before 
they  can  attack  him  he  rushes  upon  them.  The  chulos  fol- 


•jS  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

low  the  picadors  ;  they  are  apprentices  who  divert  the  bull 
from  the  picadors.  Then  come  the  banderilleras,  who  are  on 
foot  and  carry  darts,  which  they  plant,  if  possible,  in  the  neck 
of  the  bull.  In  the  third  act  the  espada  comes  forward  to  slay 
the  bull  with  the  sword.  During  the  two  or  three  hours  of 
performance  from  six  to  eight  bulls  are  killed.  Men,  women, 
and  children  yell  and  utter  every  possible  form  of  praise  or 
blame  for  man  and  brute.  Several  horses  are  killed,  and  the 
scene,  as  they  leap  about  the  ring  after  being  gored  by  the 
bulls,  is  unfit  for  description.  When  a  bull  is  killed  he  is 
dragged  off  by  mules,  glittering  with  flags  and  tinkling  bells. 
Slow  bulls  are  beaten,  abused,  and  anathematized  by  the  specta- 
tors ;  "such  animals  as  show  the  white  feather  are  loathed  as 
depriving  the  public  of  their  just  rights,  and  are  beaten  as  they 
pass  within  reach  by  sticks  carried  by  the  people;  "  but  a  "mur- 
derous bull,  who  gores  horses,  upsets  men,  and  clears  the 
plaza,  becomes  a  universal  favorite.  Long  life  is  wished  to 
him  by  those  who  know  he  must  be  killed  within  ten  minutes. 
.  .  .  The  horsemen  often  show  marvelous  skill  in  managing  to 
place  their  horses  as  a  rampart  between  them  and  the  bull." 
When  deadly  struggles  take  place,  every  expression  of  anxiety, 
fear,  eagerness,  horror,  and  delight  is  visible.  These  feelings 
reach  the  highest  pitch  when  the  horse,  maddened  with  wounds 
and  terror,  plunging  to  the  fatal  struggle,  crimson  streams  of 
blood  streaking  his  foaming  body,  flies  from  the  infuriated  bull. 

When  the  horses  are  dead  they  are  dragged  off,  and  when 
the  picador  is  wounded  he  is  carried  out  and  forgotten,  new 
gladiators  appearing.  A  gentleman  informed  me  that  he  had 
seen  twelve  dead  horses  hauled  away  from  the  scene  after  hav- 
ing been  butchered  in  a  hideous  manner. 

The  bull  is  one  of  the  most  terrible  animals  when  roused. 
Sometimes  wild  beasts  are  brought  to  contend  with  him,  and 
within  the  last  twenty-five  years  a  bull  slew  successively  a  lion 
brought  from  Africa  and  a  tiger  brought  from  India  to  fight 
with  him.  On  another  occasion  this  bull  encountered  a 'lion 
and  a  tiger  at  the  same  time  and  disabled  both.  As  he  was 
then  believed  to  be  unconquerable,  an  elephant  was  brought 
upon  the  scene.  This  ponderous  animal  simply  pressed  upon 
th  •  spine  of  the  hero  of  so  many  conflicts  and  crushed  him 


THE  BULLFIGHTS  OF  SPAIN.  79 

into  an  incoherent  mass.  That  elephant  was  kept  in  Madrid 
and  exhibited  until  his  death. 

This  fiendish  cruelty  is  defended  by  the  Spaniards  and  their 
sympathizers.  The  horses,  they  say,  are  old  animals  of  no 
account.  They  have  to  be  blinded,  otherwise  they  would  not 
face  the  bull.  If  they  are  only  wounded  the  gash  is  sewed  up 
and  stopped  with  tow,  and  they  are  still  forced  to  fight.  The  Span- 
iards say  that  the  bull  is  a  tame,  almost  a  domestic,  animal, 
and  would  never  fight  at  all  unless  roused  by  the  sight  of  blood, 
and  to  use  these  old  horses  for  that  purpose  is  not  to  be  con- 
demned. They  charge  against  other  nations  similar  things, 
speaking  contemptuously  of  the  Protestants  who  object  to 
their  fights,  and  yet  play  the  salmon  and  chase  the  hare  and 
the  fox. 

When  the  intelligence  and  sensibility  of  the  horse  and  his 
services  to  mankind  are  taken  into  the  account,  whatever  may 
be  said  for  or  against  hunting  or  fishing,  that  the  cases  are  not 
parallel  is  clear.  The  Spaniards  also  contend  that  the  effects 
produced  upon  them  are  not  the  same  as  upon  people  not  ac- 
customed to  such  scenes.  That  is  the  same  as  to  affirm  that  the 
effect  of  a  brutal  prize  fight  would  be  different  upon  persons 
who  never  saw  it  from  that  produced  upon  those  who  are  in 
the  habit  of  witnessing  such  spectacles.  What  blunts  the  sen- 
sibilities to  such  sights  as  Spanish  bullfights  is  brutalizing  and 
degrading.  Several  American  ladies  and  gentlemen  concluded 
to  go  to  a  bullfight,  notwithstanding  it  was  upon  the  Sabbath. 
Having  sophisticated  their  consciences,  they  went,  and  one 
said  to  another:  "Now,  you  are  here  on  Sunday;  whatever 
sin  there  is  in  it  you  have  committed,  and  had  better  fix  your 
eyes  on  everything  and  see  it  through." 

In  less  than  fifteen  minutes  after  it  began  the  spectacle  was 
too  horrible  to  be  endured,  so  that  all  the  ladies  save  one  were 
made  ill,  and  she  could  not  turn  her  eyes  from  the  horrible 
sight.  One  of  the  gentlemen  fainted  and  fell  to  the  floor.  A 
Frenchman  sitting  near  them  also  fell  in  a  swoon.  The  entire 
party,  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  were  compelled  to  retreat. 
This  was  at  a  fight  given  in  honor  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  at 
that  time  visiting  Madrid. 

It  is  the  conduct  of  many  Americans  and  Englishmen  that 


8o  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

gives  the  defenders  of  bullfights  their  strongest  practical 
point.  They  go  to  the  disgusting  exhibitions,  and  often  develop 
a  mania  which  leads  them  to  boast  "that  they  went  every 
Sunday  while  they  were  in  Spain."  We  saw  members  of 
Christian  churches  who  expressed  great  disappointment  at  the 
postponement  of  a  bullfight  which  they  had  expected  to  at- 
tend; and  a  young  lady  gave  us  an  account  of  the  conduct  of 
her  minister,  from  Scotland,  who  went  to  a  bullfight  on  Sun- 
day, "just  to  see  what  the  customs  of  the  country  were." 

The  attitude  of  Roman  Catholicism  is  theoretically  one  of 
condemnation,  but  practically  bullfights  are  encouraged  by  the 
Church,  which  in  many  places  has  a  strong,  though  indirect, 
interest  in  the  profits. 

At  the  bull  ring  at  Madrid  a  chapel  is  attached  to  the  ring 
in  which  the  bullfighters,  before  entering  the  arena,  meet  and 
have  a  short  religious  service,  a  priest  being  in  readiness.  In 
ancient  times  those  killed  on  the  spot  were  denied  burial  rites 
on  the  ground  that  they  died  without  confessing;  but  a  priest 
is  "now  in  attendance  with  Su  Magestad  (the  sacred  Host), 
ready  to  give  always  spiritual  assistance  to  a  dying  combatant." 

Queen  Isabella  was  opposed  to  the  fights,  though  they  were 
far  less  cruel  then  than  now,  and  had  a  direct  influence  upon 
the  breed  of  horses  and  the  development  among  gentlemen 
of  courage  and  dexterity  with  the  lance.  The  pope  issued 
edicts  against  them,  yet  they  persisted,  and  under  the  despot- 
ism of  fashion  the  bullfight  was  "stripped  of  its  chivalrous 
character  and  degenerated  into  the  vulgar  butchery  of  low 
mercenary  bullfighters,  just  as  did  our  rings  and  tournaments 
of  chivalry  into  those  of  ruffian  pugilists." 

In  1868  a  bill  was  brought  into  the  Cortes  to  abolish  bull- 
fights, but  the  sympathies  of  almost  the  entire  people  being 
with  the  spectacle,  the  bill  was  rejected. 


To  "AFRIC'S  SUNNY  FOUNTAINS."  81 


CHAPTER  X. 
To  "Afric's  Sunny  Fountains." 

Voyage    to    Tangier — Views   along    the    Route — Arrival — Street   Scenes — A 
Moorish  School. 

ON  the  afternoon  of  Christmas  we  sailed  through  the  Bay  of 
Malaga  into  the  Mediterranean.  Our  vessel  had  a  truly  Afri- 
can name,  the  Mogador,  named  after  a  part  of  the  city  of 
Morocco.  No  quieter  sea  ever  reflected  a  more  golden  sun- 
set than  did  the  Mediterranean  that  evening.  But  the  promise 
to  the  eye,  like  many  to  the  ear,  was  broken  to  the  heart,  for 
when  the  day  was  done  the  winds  began  their  revels,  which 
soon  plunged  men,  women,  and  children  into  one  common  gulf 
of  nausea  and  despondency.  Through  the  short,  choppy  waves 
the  Mogador  swiftly  pushed,  and  wretched  as  we  were,  it  was 
a  pleasure  to  pass  everything  that  rode  the  waves  that  night. 
A  little  after  ten  o'clock  the  storm  subsided,  the  clouds  disap- 
peared, and  the  rugged  mountains  of  the  African  coast  stood 
forth  in  the  starlight  like  stupendous  battlements  as  we  anchored 
in  the  harbor  of  Ceuta.  This  is  the  "  Botany  Bay"  of  Spain. 

The  town,  like  ancient  Rome,  stands  on  seven  hills,  and  its 
name  is  said  to  be  a  corruption  of  septem.  The  ancients 
called  it  Abyla,  and  one  of  its  mountains  formed  one  of  the 
Pillars  of  Hercules.  The  numerous  fortifications  on  adjacent 
hills,  and  the  towering  masses  of  mountains,  were  startling 
exhibitions  of  power. 

The  next  day  we  sailed  over  the  same  route  which  the 
Moors  took  when  they  set  forth  to  conquer  Spain,  and  an- 
chored in  the  harbor  of  Algeciras,  the  point  at  which  they 
landed.  It  was  in  this  harbor  that  we  obtained  our  first  view 
of  the  Rock  of  Gibraltar.  After  a  brief  stay  at  this  place,  of 
no  importance  now,  though  once  the  Moor's  key  to  Spain, 
and  the  scene  of  the  greatest  crusade  of  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury, we  resumed  our  course  through  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar. 
Gibraltar,  with  its  forts,  its  town,  and  the  harbor  filled  with  ship- 


82  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

ping,  was  in  full  view ;  across  was  the  entire  line  of  the  northwest 
coast  of  Africa,  its  hills  and  mountains  covered  with  vegetation. 

Sailing  close  to  Spain,  we  soon  sighted  Cape  Trafalgar's 
low,  sandy  shore,  scene  of  one  of  the  greatest  of  naval  en- 
counters. After  we  had  buffeted  the  waves  in  a  violent  storm 
for  a  long  time,  the  Bay  of  Tangier  came  into  view,  forming 
an  amphitheater  about  three  miles  wide,  to  which  the  shores 
correspond,  the  city  rising  on  the  slopes  of  hills.  From  the 
deck  northward  we  saw  the  citadel,  and  southward  the  white 
houses  of  the  town.  Formerly  there  was  no  pier,  and  it 
was  impossible  for  vessels  to  land  passengers;  but  such  was 
the  bigotry  of  the  people  that  the  Mohammedans  would  not 
carry  a  Christian,  and  passengers  were  taken  to  the  shore  on 
the  backs  of  Jews.  We  had  heard  of  the  pier,  and  supposed 
that  we  should  land  as  at  a  European  port,  but  it  had  been 
broken  by  the  preceding  storms,  and  we  were  compelled  to 
take  the  boats.  Many  more  Moors  clambered  up  the  ship's 
side  than  there  were  passengers,  and  wrangling  about  the  prices 
was  fierce.  Ingratiating  ourselves  with  the  health  officer,  who 
spoke  English,  we  ascertained  the  fixed  rate,  and  sharing  his 
boat,  had  no  trouble  in  the  settlement. 

The  harbor,  notwithstanding  the  fast  increasing  darkness, 
was  beautiful,  and  the  domes  and  minarets  of  the  mosques  on 
the  hillsides,  so  unlike  the  towers  and  steeples  of  Christian 
churches,  would  have  been  sufficient,  had  we  drifted  instead  of 
steered  into  the  harbor,  to  show  that  we  were  landing  upon 
an  unknown  shore.  Once  upon  terra  firma,  we  were  led  through 
a  long,  dark,  narrow  alley, as  weird  an  entrance  as  stranger  ever 
had.  At  a  turn  two  solemn-looking,  turbaned  Moors  in  white, 
wearing  long  beards,  and  having  the  aspect  of  authority,  at- 
tracted our  attention.  Passport  in  hand,  we  were  ready  to 
surrender  the  baggage,  when  the  health  officer,  knowing  that 
we  were  Americans,  informed  them  that  we  had  nothing  duti- 
able, whereupon  they  gravely  bowed  and  we  passed  on.  The 
alley  led  to  a  street  not  much  wider,  but  lighter,  and  in  five 
minutes  we  entered  the  hotel. 

Tangier,  the  capital  of  a  province,  and  the  residence  of  for- 
eign ministers  and  consuls  to  the  Court  of  Morocco,  and  fre- 
quently visited  by  English,  French,  and  Spanish  merchants 


To  "  AFRIC'S  SUNNY   FOUNTAINS."  85 

upon  business,  and  by  travelers,  is  provided  with  two  or  three 
excellent  hotels,  the  Continental,  where  we  stayed,  surpassing 
any  in  Spain.  In  front  of  it  were  scores  of  Moors,  and  in  the 
hall  perhaps  a  dozen.  Male  Moors  waited  efficiently  upon 
the  tables,  and  were  picturesque  in  their  fantastic  jellabiyah 
(dressing  gowns),  turbans,  and  sandals;  attentive,  polite,  sur- 
prisingly noiseless,  and  rapid.  We  were  hardly  in  our  rooms 
when  a  man,  who  might  have  posed  as  the  sultan,  or  as  the 
Caliph  Haroun  al  Raschid,  so  far  as  dress  and  dignified  con- 
descension were  concerned,  appeared.  There  was  an  excess 
of  complacency  in  his  smile,  and  something  of  flippancy  in  his 
dainty  manners  as  he  entered,  and  when  he  said,  with  a  smile 
that  exhibited  the  whitest  of  teeth,  and  was  suggestive  of  great 
expectations,  "I  am  ze  commissionaire  of  ze  hotel,"  we  saw 
that  this  august  being  was  willing  for  the  sum  of  two  dollars 
per  day  to  conduct  us  through  such  portions  of  the  empire  of 
Morocco  as  we  might  elect.  We  did  not  employ  him,  as  his 
time  and  ours  could  not  be  made  to  agree.  But  guides  were 
numerous,  and  in  due  time  we  sallied  forth  into  the  streets, 
through  which  no  carriage  can  pass,  so  narrow  are  they,  and  so 
crowded.  Jews,  Negroes,  Moors,  women  with  their  faces  cov- 
ered, country  people  with  peculiar  dresses,  donkeys,  mules,  and 
water  carriers,  swarming  together,  gave  the  appearance  of  a 
dense  crowd,  and  one  paused  at  almost  every  step  to  consider 
whether  he  could  make  his  way. 

A  traveler  says  of  the  crowd:  "They  were  all  oppressed  by 
an  immense  sadness  or  a  mortal  weariness,  none  smiling,  but 
moving  one  behind  the  other  with  slow  and  silent  steps,  like  a 
procession  of  specters  in  a  cemetery."  This  is  a  misrepre- 
sentation. The  street  crowds  in  Tangier  are  grave,  but  many 
smile  and  gesticulate  like  Italians  or  Frenchmen;  and  as  for 
their  moving  with  slow  and  silent  steps,  they  are  among  the 
most  rapid  walkers  in  the  world.  As  they  transact  business  in 
the  street,  they  crouch  against  the  walls  in  front  of  the  shops, 
and  the  poorer  classes  crowd  against  the  sides  of  the  narrow 
lanes;  being  dressed  in  white,  the  color  of  the  walls,  they  pass 
almost  unobserved,  and  have  a  spectral  look. 

The  streets  are  not  only  narrow,  but  crooked  and  dirty,  all 
the  ordinary  rubbish  being  left  there.  The  houses  have  no 


86  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

windows.  Most  of  the  shops  are  mere  holes  in  the  wall, 
receiving  all  light  and  air  through  the  front  door,  which  is 
entirely  open.  The  interior  of  the  lawyers'  offices  can  be 
seen  plainly  from  the  street,  and  we  beheld  ancient  men  por- 
ing over  documents,  and  others  writing  as  slowly  as  children 
with  their  first  copies.  Of  the  larger  shops  one  can  have  no 
idea  from  the  entrance.  We  were  conducted  to  one  of  the 
best  for  the  purchase  of  antiquities.  Entering  by  a  small  door 
\ve  passed  through  a  room  not  much  larger  than  a  closet, 
then  through  another,  and  after  climbing  a  narrow  stairway, 
found  that  the  display  rooms  were  three  or  four  in  number, 
and  contained  thousands  of  curious  objects.  The  Moors  are 
sharp  and  shrewd  at  a  bargain.  They  consider  the  European, 
and  especially  the  traveler,  a  legitimate  object  of  prey.  One 
who  continued  to  show  his  goods  long  after  we  had  told  him 
that  we  did  not  desire  to  buy,  said  in  broken  English:  "We 
want  to  taste  your  money  to  see  if  it  is  sweet."  When  we 
persisted  in  refusing  he  lost  his  temper,  and  told  us  to  "keep 
our  money  in  our  own  bowels."  In  general,  as  they  hope  for 
another  visit,  they  are  polite  to  the  last. 

In  a  Moorish  school  the  children  sit  on  the  floor,  the  teacher, 
generally  an  old  man  of  venerable  aspect,  sitting  in  the  midst 
of  them,  crosslegged.  The  Prophet  thought  that  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  Koran  was  knowledge  enough  for  a  believer,  and 
this  the  children  have  to  commit  to  memory.  I  visited  such  a 
school  in  Tangier.  The  old  teacher,  with  a  long  stick,  was  com- 
pelling the  children  to  repeat  aloud  passages  from  the  Koran. 
If  they  did  not  do  it  correctly,  he  rebuked;  if  they  were  inat- 
tentive, he  beat  them.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  corporal  pun- 
ishment in  its  moral  aspects,  that  it  compels  attention  there 
is  no  doubt;  for  when  that  stick  descended  the  laugh  of  the 
young  Mussulman  was  changed  into  a  wail,  and  with  tremen- 
dous energy  he  began  to  repeat  the  sacred  words.  As  the  whole 
school  talks  aloud,  continually  swaying  backward  and  forward 
— a  thing  believed  by  them  to  be  beneficial  to  the  memory — the 
hubbub  was  prodigious;  but  what  was  unintelligible  to  us  was 
not  so  to  the  teacher,  and  from  the  amount  which  the  children 
recited  the  plan  seemed  successful. 


THE  EYE  OF  AFRICA.  89 


CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Eye  of  Africa. 

The  Great  Market — Caravan — Distinctions  Indicated  by  Dress — Slavery,  Past 
and  Present — The  Prison — Coffee  House — Suburbs. 

THE  great  market  at  Tangier  on  Sunday  or  Thursday  is  in- 
describable, but  explains  itself  to  the  eye.  All  around  the 
square  are  shops.  In  the  center,  covering  several  acres, 
thousands  of  persons  buying  and  selling;  donkeys  and  camels 
laden  with  country  produce  and  manufactured  articles  are 
continually  arriving  and  departing;  enveloped  in  their  peculiar 
cloaks  or  hoods,  in  groups  of  five,  eight,  or  ten,  hundreds  of 
women  are  squatting  upon  the  ground;  stalwart  Negroes, 
tall  Mussulmans,  and  Berbers  mingling  with  hundreds  of 
Moors;  and  here  and  there  a  snake  charmer,  conjuror,  and 
story-teller,  each  with  his  audience  as  in  the  time  of  the 
Thousand-and-one  Nights'  Entertainment. 

Tents  are  being  erected,  coffee  is  being  pounded  (they  do 
not  grind  it  in  Morocco),  and  everything  which  the  earth  pro- 
duces or  the  people  manufacture  is  exposed  for  sale.  Heavy 
rains  had  covered  the  ground  with  a  layer  of  mud  and 
water,  but  neither  men  nor  women  appeared  to  care,  walking 
through  it  barefoot,  sitting  down  in  it.  The  gravity  of  the 
Moors  when  not  in  action  gives  place  when  they  engage  in  bar- 
gaining, or  meet  their  friends  in  the  markets,  to  animated  con- 
versation, with  graceful  and  sometimes  violent  gesticulation. 

The  beautiful  bronze  handwork,  for  which  the  Moors  are 
famous,  we  saw  in  process  of  manufacture  in  the  shops;  also 
looked  into  some  of  the  factories  where  is  made  Morocco 
leather,  the  only  real  native  industry. 

A  huge  caravan  expected  was  delayed  by  the  storm.     These 

are  movable  markets,  carrying  into  the  interior  of  Africa  many 

merchantable  articles,  taking  up,  as  they  cross  the  desert,  loads 

of  salt,  which,  with  the  other  commodities,  they  exchange  in 

6 


9° 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


the  Soudan  for  gold  dust,  ostrich  feathers,  and,  even  to  this 
day,  slaves  for  Morocco. 

Distinctions  existing  among  the  Moors  are  indicated  by  the 
dress.  It  is  quite  an  art,  in  which  we  took  the  first  lessons 
here,  to  comprehend  them.  Beggars  were  not  as  numerous 
as  in  Spain,  but  there  were  enough,  many  being  blind,  to 


Snake  Charmer. 

throw  a  gloomy  aspect  over  the  streets.  One  traveler  says 
that  he  had  not  seen  among  the  Arabs  a  hunchback,  or  a  lame 
man,  or  a  man  with  the  rickets,  but  many  without  a  nose  and 
without  an  eye,  one  or  both.  We  saw  all  of  these,  but  the 
number  of  them  was  small  in  comparison  with  the  blind. 
Many  of  the  common  people  went  about  barefooted  and 


THE  EYE  OF  AFRICA.  91 

barelegged.  Some  wore  sandals,  which  slipped  up  and  down 
at  the  heel.  The  feet  of  many  of  both  sexes  were  covered 
with  corns  and  bunions.  The  absence  of  women  of  the  better 
classes  was  noticeable ;  the  few  who  did  appear  were  covered 
to  the  eyes,  according  to  the  Mohammedan  custom.  Only  the 
very  poor  or  the  abandoned  appear  in  public  with  faces  un- 
covered. Some  ladies  staying  at  the  hotel  found  no  difficulty 
in  visiting  the  harem  of  the  sultan,  and  gave  us  interesting 
descriptions  of  what  they  saw.  Of  course  where  the  face  of  no 
male  Moslem  other  than  the  owner  could  be  seen,  "a  Christian 
dog  "  could  not  be  allowed. 

Till  within  a  few  years  there  was  a  slave  market  in  Tangier; 
through  the  influence  of  foreign  governments  this  has  been 
abolished.  We  visited  the  site,  but  had  little  to  say  consider- 
ing how  short  a  time  it  was  since  similar  auction  blocks  for 
the  sale  of  human  beings  existed  in  our  own  land.  We  were 
told  that  slaves  are  still  sold  in  the  interior,  and  that  they  are 
dealt  in  privately  even  in  Tangier.  Indeed,  one  of  the  resi- 
dents pointed  out  a  Jew  riding  on  a  donkey  followed  by  a 
Negro,  and  said  that  the  Negro  was  the  Jew's  slave.  .  Another 
denied  this,  affirming  that  a  Jew  was  not  allowed  to  hold  a 
Mohammedan  in  slavery,  and  that  Negroes  were  all  of  that 
faith.  I  conclude  that  slaves  are  still  held  by  the  Moors  of 
that  city,  but  only  as  domestics.  Nearly  one  third  of  the 
population  of  Tangier  consists  of  Jews.  They  wear  a  peculiar 
dress  and  are  despised,  but  have  their  revenge  by  making 
money  constantly  out  of  their  persecutors.  The  Jewish 
women  are  so  handsome  that  now,  as  in  the  time  of  Esther, 
they  are  sometimes  the  means  of  protecting  the  men  from  their 
oppressors. 

Nothing  more  horrible  than  the  prison  at  Tangier  can  be 
conceived.  It  is  divided  into  two  parts,  one  for  the  criminal 
inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  the  other  for  those  of  the  province 
of  which  Tangier  is  the  capital.  Prisoners  are  not  allowed 
beds,  are  placed  in  one  large  hall,  the  more  desperate  being 
heavily  ironed.  A  huge  wooden  door,  having  an  aperture  nine 
inches  in  diameter,  is  the  means  of  entrance  and  exit,  and  be- 
fore it  sit  two  aged  men.  Around  stand  numbers  of  Moorish 
soldiers  acting  as  guards.  We  looked  through  the  aperture 


92  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

and  saw  hundreds  of  forms  in  every  stage  of  filth,  some  look- 
ing desperate  and  defiant,  old  men  striding  across  the  floor 
with  heavy  irons  attached  to  their  feet,  no  conversation,  not  a 
smile.  Some  had  the  stony  stare  of  despair,  others  the  ex- 
pressionless eye  of  idiocy.  The  stench  was  intolerable. 

While  we  were  gazing  a  man  rushed  to  the  hole  and  thrust 
his  head  up.  I  saw  in  an  instant  that  he  was  a  maniac.  He 
declaimed  to  us  for  the  space  of  five  minutes,  and  one  of  the 
guards  said  :  "  He  is  mad.  He  is  telling  you  that  his  father 
died,  and  he  and  his  brothers  disputed  about  the  prop- 
erty, and  they  tried  to  rob  him  of  his  share,  and  when  he  re- 
sisted they  put  him  in  here,  and  he  has  been  here  two  months, 
and  he  wants  you  to  see  that  his  cause  is  looked  into." 

While  he  was  raving,  faces  behind  his  were  grinning  hid- 
eously at  his  demonstrations.  Let  the  artist  who  wishes  to 
paint  a  picture  of  hell  go  to  Tangier  and  look  through  those 
openings.  The  women's  department  contained  only  two  per- 
sons, who  were  in  charge  of  an  enormous  Negress,  weighing 
not  less  than  three  hundred  pounds.  As  we  were  leaving  a 
curious  scene  happened.  A  horse  was  fastened  in  the  center 
of  the  square.  One  of  our  animals  kicked  it  as  he  was  being 
led  past,  and  in  an  instant  a  hundred  Moors  appeared,  who 
ran  to  and  fro  vociferating  and  gesticulating.  Great  was  the 
excitement.  A  gigantic  fellow  felt  it  his  duty  to  chastise  our 
horse,  but  when  he  saw  us  smiling  at  his  vehemence,  he  smiled 
also  and  retreated.  This  trivial  scene  showed  the  Arabs  in  a 
light  very  different  from  any  aspect  of  their  character  pre- 
viously exhibited. 

One  evening  we  visited  a  coffee  house  to  hear  the  music. 
Ten  or  fifteen  Moors,  picturesquely  dressed,  squatting  on  the 
floor,  played  upon  tambourines,  rude  dulcimers,  and  other 
stringed  instruments,  and  sang  monotonous  airs.  No  charge 
was  made  for  admission,  but  visitors  were  expected  to  buy 
coffee.  The  Arabs  make  their  coffee  without  straining,  and 
boil  the  sugar  with  it.  It  is  thick  and  of  a  sickish  taste,  but 
old  residents  say  that  after  one  has  learned  to  like  it,  no  other 
preparation  will  please  him.  Late  in  the  evening  we  took  a 
long  walk  through  the  narrow  streets  in  an  unearthly  dark- 
ness and  silence;  Arabs  were  standing  asleep;  in  the  niches 


THE  EYE  OF  AFRICA.  93 

of  the  walls;  others  were  rolled  up  in  round  balls;  now  and 
then  a  figure  passed  out  of  an  alley  and  into  a  door;  occa- 
sionally a  sound  of  music  floated  upon  the  air,  apparently 
afar  off,  but  really  close  at  hand  within  gloomy  and  narrow 
corridors;  once  in  a  great  while  we  passed  a  single  shop  open, 
with  one  person  seated  within,  but  saw  no  light  in  any  dwell- 
ing house.  But  for  these  exceptions,  one  might  have  believed 
himself  wandering  in  an  utterly  deserted  town. 

The  suburbs  of  Tangier  are  charming,  sea  and  land  views 
rivaling  each  other  in  beauty  and  variety.  Mounted  upon 
steady  going  mules,  we  rode  eight  miles  upon  the  road  to  Fez, 
the  capital,  visiting  the  villages  and  orange  groves.  During 
our  ride  hundreds  of  men  and  women,  returning  from  the  great 
market  to  their  villages,  passed  us,  all  walking  at  the  rate  of 
about  four  miles  an  hour.  Even  the  aged  walked  rapidly. 
They  stared  at  us  without  hostility,  but  without  any  sign  of 
recognition,  and  were  always  willing  to  give  information  as 
to  the  route.  In  the  city  the  women  and  children  sometimes 
mutter  and  otherwise  express  their  contempt  and  hatred  for 
Christians.  In  that  climate,  the  most  delightful  in  the  world, 
the  temperature  being  in  winter  from  fifty  to  sixty-four,  and 
rarely  rising  above  eighty-two  in  summer,  they  need  no  fire, 
and  live  most  of  the  time  in  the  open  air.  Their  houses, 
made  of  mud  stiffened  with  straw,  though  without  windows, 
are  comfortable  enough.  Lovely  were  the  orange  groves, 
interlined  with  roses  in  full  bloom;  exquisite  the  fruit,  the 
sweetest  and  juiciest  imaginable. 

No  drunkenness  was  visible  in  Tangier.  The  religion  of 
the  people  forbids  it.  They  are  addicted  to  smoking  Cannabis 
Indica,  or  Indian  hemp,  the  powerful  drug  from  which  hasheesh 
is  obtained,  and  tobacco.  Though  the  sultan  has  forbidden 
the  use  of  both,  they  are  used  secretly. 


94  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER   XII. 
Condition  and  Outlook  of  Morocco. 

Difficulty   of    Obtaining    Information — Government — The    Sultan — Moham- 
medanism in  Morocco — Decadence  and  Probable  Fate  of  the  Nation. 

IN  no  country  have  I  had  more  difficulty  in  ascertaining 
what  1  wished  to  know  than  in  Morocco.  An  English  gentle- 
man who  has  transacted  business  with  Moorish  merchants  for 
more  than  twenty  years  told  me  that  upon  no  question  relating 
to  the  administration  of  the  government  or  to  peculiar  religious, 
social,  or  political  Moorish  questions  would  they  say  anything, 
though  free  to  converse  upon  other  subjects.  He  also  said 
that  nine  tenths  of  what  he  read  in  the  English  papers  about 
Morocco  he  knew  to  be  false  or  distorted.  About  the  time 
that  we  were  there  the  London  papers  published  a  sensational 
account  of  the  execution  of  two  men  by  decapitation,  in  which 
the  executioner  is  represented  as  sawing  away  for  a  long  time 
with  a  dull  knife,  and  then  asking  for  another,  crying  out: 
''Give  me  another  knife;  mine  doesn't  cut."  The  circum- 
stances and  language  were  given  in  detail.  A  short  time 
afterward  the  Morocco  Times,  published  in  Tangier,  proved 
conclusively  that  what  was  alleged  took  place  many  years  ago. 
What  is  here  stated  of  the  peculiarities  and  prospects  of  the 
country  is  either  known  by  me  or  believed  on  the  best  informa- 
tion obtainable. 

The  government  of  Morocco  is  an  absolute  despotism. 
The  emperor,  or  sultan,  claims  descent  from  Mohammed,  and 
he  belongs  to  the  class  Ashraf.  He  retains  his  court  alter- 
nately in  the  three  cities  of  Morocco,  Fez,  and  Mequinez. 
The  Mohammedan  population  believe  him  the  lawful  caliph, 
the  spiritual  chief  of  Islam.  Notwithstanding  his  abso- 
lute character  the  mountain  chiefs  in  the  Atlas  range  defy 
him,  and  live  in  virtual  independence  of  the  government. 
Joseph  Thompson,  the  explorer,  arrived  in  London  in  Novem- 
ber, 1888,  and  read  an  essay  before  the  Royal  Geographical 


CONDITION  AND  OUTLOOK  OF  MOROCCO.  97 

Society  describing  the  utter  inability  of  the  sultan  to  protect 
him  in  the  interior.  He  stated  that  a  large  part  of  the  Atlas 
Mountain  regions  is  as  entirely  unknown  and  unexplored  as 
the  interior  of  Africa.  It  has  been  only  seven  years  since 
Dr.  Foucauld  made  the  first  survey  of  those  mountains,  travel- 
ing in  the  guise  of  a  Jew.  Sir  Joseph  Hooker  had  done  con- 
siderable for  geography  and  botany,  but  it  was  not  till  this 
year  that  Mr.  Thompson  could  obtain  a  passport  from  Sultan 
Muley  Hassan,  and  that  was  strictly  limited.  I  quote  from 
his  paper:  "Though  almost  in  touch  with  Europe,  many  parts 
of  Morocco  still  remain  as  completely  unexplored  as  many 
districts  in  the  heart  of  Africa."  Mr.  Thompson  and  his  com- 
panions being  at  Marakesh,  and  desiring  to  witness  certain 
festivities,  presented  their  credentials  from  the  sultan  and 
asked  the  governor  for  two  soldiers  to  be  placed  at  their  dis- 
posal. As  a  reply  they  received  an  arbitrary  order  to  remain 
indoors  for  the  whole  of  that  day.  They  went  out  alone,  rely- 
ing upon  the  letter  of  the  sultan,  but  were  mobbed  and  grossly 
insulted.  Not  long  afterward  a  French  explorer  was  treated 
in  the  same  manner. 

Within  forty  hours'  mule  ride  of  Tangier — that  is,  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles — is  a  place  called  Sheshouan,  where, 
until  a  year  ago,  only  one  Christian  is  supposed  ever  to  have 
been.  Blackwood's  Magazine  for  December,  1888,  contained 
an  account  of  the  adventures  of  Mr.  Walter  Harris  in  reaching 
that  point,  showing  that  numbers  of  the  tribes  and  the  inhabit- 
ants are  as  independent  of  the  sultan,  as  lawless,  fanatical, 
and  murderous  as  any  people  whom  Stanley  has  encountered. 
The  Beni  Hassan  men  are  of  all  the  most  quarrelsome  and 
thievish,  divided  into  professional  branches,  as  the  corn,  cattle, 
horse,  or  street  thief.  When  the  Italian  embassy  passed 
through  that  country  on  the  way  to  the  capital,  after  the 
governor  had  accompanied  it  a  distance  of  about  two  miles, 
he  asked  leave  to  return,  and  when  the  Italian  embassador  de- 
manded why,  he  answered:  "Because  my  own  house  is  not 
secure." 

The  government,  being  absolute  so  far  as  it  goes,  is  corrupt. 
No  rich  Moor  dares  to  reveal  the  fact  that  he  has  much  money. 
Agricultural  systems  have  not  been  improved;  exportation  is 


98  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

discouraged;  the  rules  of  commerce  are  antiquated,  and  taxa- 
tion is  an  organized  system  of  extortion.  In  the  courts  no 
Christian's  word  or  oath  is  taken;  hence  in  1880,  at  the  con- 
vention of  Madrid,  the  protection  system  was  introduced. 
Fourteen  nations  are  represented  by  diplomatic  representatives. 
Each  holds  its  court  in  every  town  for  the  trial  of  cases  in 
which  its  citizens  are  involved,  except  that  in  three  instances 
the  same  consul  acts  for  more  than  one  nation.  In  the  lega- 
tions the  privilege  is  practically  absolute.  Employees  of 
embassadors  cannot  be  tried  in  any  court  of  Morocco  without 
due  notice  being  given  to  their  superiors.  Foreigners  engaged 
in  commerce  have  protection,  and  are  allowed  two  protected 
native  agents,  called  Semsars,  and  the  contracting  powers  may 
select  twelve  natives  to  be  protected.  While  this  peculiar 
system  settles  some  difficulties,  a  great  many  abuses  have 
grown  up  under  it.  The  Moors,  ever  ready  to  bribe,  find  for- 
eigners equally  ready  to  be  bribed,  and  endeavor  to  circum- 
vent both  the  government  of  the  sultan  and  the  operation  of 
the  protection. 

The  principle  upon  which  taxation  is  levied  in  Morocco  is  to 
pounce  upon  any  unprotected  citizen  and  make  an  arbitrary 
assessment.  If  he  dresses  better  than  others,  educates  his 
children,  or  builds  a  fine  house,  he  is  considered  lawful  prey. 

Little  can  be  learned  of  the  proceedings  of  the  sultan.  At 
the  time  we  were  there  contradictory  reports  about  his  health 
were  afloat.  Some  said  he  would  soon  come  down  to  the  sea, 
others  that  he  was  too  feeble  to  mount  a  horse,  others  that  he 
was  staying  away  for  political  reasons;  but  the  last  person  to 
ask  information  from  was  any  influential  officer  or  Arab.  Sul- 
tans in  Morocco  are  elected,  but  it  is  necessary  that  they 
should  be  descendants  of  the  Prophet  Mohammed.  As  there 
are  two  lines,  the  Aliweein,  to  which  the  present  sultan  be- 
longs, and  Drissian,  and  as  he  may  be  selected  from  either 
line,  peculiar  developments  often  result..  When  the  last  sultan 
died  there  was  a  difference  of  opinion  whether  Muley  Hassan, 
the  present  sultan,  or  Muley  Abbas,  the  brother  of  the  late 
sovereign,  was  preferable.  Muley  Hassan  had  the  majority, 
and  his  uncle  attempted  to  retreat  into  obscurity,  but  Muley 
Hassan  "sent  word  to  his  uncle  that  he  desired  no  family 


CONDITION  AND  OUTLOOK  OF  MOROCCO.  99 

scandal,  and  as  his  speedy  death  was  a  state  necessity  he 
would  perhaps  arrange  for  it  in  any  way  which  suited  him 
best."  Muley  Abbas  chose  to  drink  himself  to  death,  which 
took  place  in  about  three  months.  There  was  another  uncle, 
Muley  Ali.  He  was  killed  because  some  partisan  cried  out  in 
the  mosque:  "  May  Allah  render  Muley  Ali  ever  victorious!  " 
The  sultan  presented  him  with  a  sum  of  money  and  a  female 
slave,  whom  etiquette  forced  him  to  marry.  Soon  after  "the 
beautiful  slave  prostrated  herself  before  the  sultan,  and,  with 
loud  wailings,  announced  that  the  Angel  of  Death  had  unex- 
pectedly smitten  Ali  in  the  night,  so  that  she  found  him  dead 
that  very  morning."  Another  relative,  Muley  Dris,  was  sent 
to  quell  a  rebellion,  but  before  the  scene  of  battle  was  reached 
the  tent  pole  fell  and  killed  him.  This  left  the  present  sultan 
in  undisputed  control. 

Tangier,  though  so  near  Europe,  is  far  from  it  in  every  par- 
ticular. The  Mohammedans  are  very  superstitious,  seek  to 
escape  the  sterner  requisitions  imposed  upon  them  by  the 
Prophet,  to  enlarge  their  liberties  in  moral  directions,  and 
make  up  for  it  by  intensifying  their  fanaticism  and  obstinate 
adherence  to  ceremonies.  They  display  none  of  the  qualities 
which  gave  their  ancestors  a  glorious  place  in  history.  Of 
science  they  know  nothing.  Their  own  language  is  deteri- 
orating because  of  indolence,  and  inherited  institutions  are 
crumbling.  With  a  perfect  climate  and  the  most  productive 
soil,  they  raise  no  more  than  necessity  requires.  To  look 
at  their  plows  carries  the  observer  back  several  thousand 
years,  and  instead  of  the  thrashing  machines  now  used  by  civil- 
ized nations,  or  even  the  flail  which  our  ancestors  employed  a 
short  time  ago,  the  wheat  is  separated  from  the  chaff  by  mak- 
ing the  animals  tread  over  the  grain  which  is  thrown  into  the 
air  with  shovels.  In  trade  the  Moors  cannot  succeed  except 
by  borrowing  money  from  the  Jews,  though  they  are  the  de- 
scendants of  the  men  who  formed  an  empire  rivaling  the  glory 
of  the  best  days  of  England,  a  power  which  made  all  Europe 
tremble,  which  led  in  learning,  established  universities,  main- 
tained great  fleets,  and  made  its  prowess  felt  at  "Vienna, 
Venice,  and  Warsaw." 

During  my  travels  in  Spain,  not  the  achievements  of  the 


ioo  TRAVF.LS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Christians,  nor  the  scenery  of  the  country,  was  the  most  im- 
pressive, but  the  ruins  of  the  glory  of  the  Moors.  No  more 
gloomy  instance  of  the  decadence  of  a  nation  can  be  found  in 
modern  history. 

Tangier,  it  is  said,  is  the  eye  of  Africa  looking  into  Europe, 
and  the  eye  of  Europe  looking  into  Africa  is  Gibraltar;  but 
Gibraltar  is  the  glass  in  the  hand  of  England,  used  at  some- 
what long  range,  it  is  true,  but  the  arm  of  England  has  always 
been  very  long  in  proportion  to  its  body,  and  its  hand  has 
never  yet  been  too  small  to  grasp  what  its  interests  required. 
Should  the  present  sultan  die,  and  the  country  fall  into  a 
state  of  discord,  it  would  not  be  surprising  to  see  England, 
under  cover  of  protecting  the  property  and  lives  of  the 
British  residents  of  Morocco,  go  down  upon  the  scene  and 
produce  complications  which  would  result  in  adding  Morocco 
to  her  empire.  That  this  would -contribute  to  the  civilization 
of  the  people  there  can  be  little  doubt;  what  other  Powers 
would  do  about  it  is  a  difficult  problem.  One  thing  is  certain, 
that  Tangier  would  be  worth  much  more  to  England  than 
Gibraltar  can  ever  be  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  hostile 
vessels  from  passing  in  or  out  of  the  Mediterranean. 


GIBRALTAR.  103 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
Gibraltar. 

Landing — Steamer  Flying  American  Flag — Long  Service  of  the  Hon.  Horatio 
J.  Sprague — Famous  Visitors  to  Gibraltar — Population — Military  Aspect — 
Curious  Spectacles — Markets — Tailless  Monkeys. 

A  ROCK,  unique  in  form  and  place,  sublime,  impressive  as 
a  center  of  historic  movements,  marking  the  confines  of  the 
ancient  world,  and  for  more  than  one  hundred  and  eighty 
years  an  impregnable  fortress  and  monument  of  the  greatness 
of  that  nation  whose  vast  possessions  in  every  continent,  as 
well  as  its  unquestioned  supremacy  upon  the  sea,  have  made 
it  for  centuries  the  most  influential  power  on  the  globe ;  this 
is  Gibraltar.  As  we  approached  by  sea  it  was  enshrouded  in 
mists,  and  barely  discernible;  but  the  vapors  dispersed,  and 
the  stupendous  mass,  rising  to  a  perpendicular  height  of 
fourteen  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  came  into  view  with  a  sud- 
denness which  produced  the  effect  of  a  moving  object,  in 
comparison  with  which  our  vessel  seemed  a  speck. 

A  writer  has  compared  the  rock  to  a  "gigantic  granite 
sphinx,  with  long,  broad,  loose,  flowing,  and  undulating  out- 
lines, like  those  of  a  lion  asleep,  and  whose  head,  somewhat 
truncated,  is  turned  toward  Africa,  as  if  with  a  dreamy  stead- 
fast, deep  attention."  It  is  three  miles  long,  of  irregular  width, 
six  miles  in  circumference,  rising  from  the  ocean  and  from  a 
level  plain  scarcely  five  feet  above  the  sea,  at  the  head  of  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar.  These  straits  are  about  forty  miles  long. 
Beyond  them  at  the  west,  is  the  Atlantic ;  and  at  the  east  the 
Mediterranean.  Landings  are  extremely  difficult,  and  we  de- 
scended from  the  vessel  into  a  rowboat  which  conveyed  us 
to  the  shore  outside  the  gates.  The  gates  are  shut  at  sun- 
down and  not  opened  until  sunrise,  a  gun  from  the  fortress  giv- 
ing the  signal.  As  the  time  of  sunset  changes,  notice  of  the 
hour  of  closing  is  each  day  placed  upon  the  outer  gates. 
After  this  there  is  no  admittance  without  special  permission, 


104  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

not  easily  secured.  The  first  thing  on  landing  was  to  secure 
a  permit  to  enter,  which  was  valid  only  for  that  afternoon. 
Having  stated  how  long  we  intended  to  remain,  a  general  per- 
mission to  stay  and  to  pass  through  the  gates  during  the  hours 
of  the  day  was  issued  without  charge.  Formerly  it  was  neces- 
sary for  foreigners  to  exhibit  their  passports. 

While  upon  the  steamer  the  harbor,  a  scene  of  beauty,  was 
stretched  out  before  us,  all  the  more  attractive  to  the  eye  than 
it  otherwise  would  be,  because  not  being  well  protected  and  of 
variable  depth  the  shipping  could  not  be  crowded,  and  so  resem- 
bled huge  swans  at  rest  upon  the  waves.  To  us  the  most  at- 
tractive object  was  a  steamship  flying  the  American  flag,  a  rare 
spectacle  in  the  harbors  of  Europe.  It  was  one  of  our  naval  ves- 
sels, the  Enterprise,  an  old  wooden  ship,  belonging  to  the  fleet 
kept  cruising  in  the  various  waters  of  Europe  to  protect  Ameri- 
can interests,  and  to  give  the  officers  the  opportunity  of  learning 
what  is  going  on  in  the  naval  world.  This  fleet  is  so  managed 
as  to  make  the  positions  of  the  officers  a  prolonged  and  luxu- 
rious excursion  to  the  finest  ports  and  watering  places  of  the 
Continent  and  adjacent  islands.  The  Enterprise  had  just  re- 
turned from  a  summer  cruise  in  the  vicinity  of  Norway,  Sweden, 
and  St.  Petersburg,  and  after  staying  a  few  weeks  at  Gibraltar, 
was  expected  to  repair  to  Villa  Franca,  near  Nice,  within  a  few 
minutes'  ride  of  Monte  Carlo,  there  to  spend  the  rest  of  the 
winter.  With  such  a  naval  armament  as  the  United  States 
possesses,  were  it  not  for  the  three  thousand  miles  of  stormy 
sea  that  roll  between  the  Old  and  New  Worlds,  we  should  be 
beneath  the  contempt  of  the  humblest  maritime  nation  of 
Europe. 

The  elevation  of  the  Rock  of  Gibraltar  is  so  great  that  the 
town  built  upon  its  sides  looks,  at  a  short  distance,  much 
more  like  a  painting  than  an  actual  assemblage  of  houses. 
They  rise  in  steep  terraces,  and  the  direct  approach  to  various 
streets  is  by  stone  steps. 

I  found  my  knowledge  of  Gibraltar  far  too  vague  and  gen- 
eral to  be  satisfactory,  and  determined  to  expend  upon  read- 
ing and  exploration  time  and  toil  sufficient  to  leave  a  vivid 
and  symmetrical  impression  of  its  relations  to  civilization  in 
Europe  and  Africa.  In  addition  to  the  study  of  various 


GIBRALTAR.  105 

works,  I  derived  valuable  assistance  from  the  Hon.  Horatio  J. 
Sprague,  American  consul  at  Gibraltar.  He  had  occupied 
that  position  for  forty-one  years;  his  father  filled  it  before 
him,  and  he  was  born  upon  the  rock.  His  knowledge  is 
extraordinary,  and  he  introduced  us  to  the  public  library  in 
whose  rooms  are  the  leading  papers  and  periodicals  of  Eu- 
rope, and  more  than  forty  thousand  volumes.  Mr.  Sprague 
had  translated  from  Spanish  into  English,  and  loaned  to  me,  a 
noted  work  on  Gibraltar  by  a  Spanish  author,  Don  Francisco 
Maria  Montero.  This  translation,  as  yet  unpublished,  com- 
prises six  hundred  pages  of  manuscript,  and  abounds  with 
details  not  to  be  elsewhere  obtained.  Our  consular  service, 
subject  to  the  mutations  of  political  parties,  has  been  so  often 
changed  that  a  traveler  cannot  be  certain  on  a  second  visit  of 
finding  the  representative  whose  acquaintance  he  made  on  the 
first.  But  Mr.  Sprague,  who  received  his  first  appointment 
from  James  K.  Polk,  has  not  been  disturbed  through  all  the 
administrations,  including  the  period  of  the  civil  war.  At 
every  point  visited  before  reaching  Gibraltar,  I  was  advised  to 
call  upon  Mr.  Sprague,  and,  having  personal  letters,  was  re- 
ceived with  a  hospitality  which  has  never  been  surpassed  in 
my  experience.  His  wife  had  been  removed  by  death  within 
a  few  years;  but  the  venerable  consul  is  fortunate  in  the  pos- 
session of  sons  and  daughters  who  fill  the  mansion,  which 
his  private  means  enable  him  to  maintain,  with  the  atmosphere 
of  youth  and  the  charms  of  genuine  refinement,  the  result  of 
their  education  in  France  and  association  with  distinguished 
visitors  who,  from  their  childhood,  have  sat  at  the  table  of 
their  parents.  Three  ex-presidents  have  been  the  guests  of 
Mr.  Sprague — Franklin  Pierce,  Millard  Fillmore,  and  Ulysses 
S.  Grant;  the  railway  magnates  Vanderbilt  and  Gould,  hun- 
dreds of  travelers,  merchants,  students,  authors,  and  artists. 
Nor  is  his  hospitality  confined  to  persons  of  note,  but,  as  we 
learned — not  from  himself,  but  by  general  inquiries  in  Gibral- 
tar— the  humblest  sailor,  or  the  poorest  wanderer  overtaken 
by  misfortune,  receives  the  attention  which  his  circumstances 
require. 

Gibraltar  contains  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants,  of  whom 
seven  thousand  are  English  soldiers;  indeed,  more  than  three 


106  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

quarters  of  the  entire  population  are  connected  with  the  garri- 
son and  military  and  other  establishments  of  Great  Britain. 
Many  of  the  people  were  born  on  the  rock;  those  who  were 
not,  among  the  commoner  sort,  apply  to  the  natives  the  nick- 
name of  "scorpions."  This  is  generally  taken  in  good  humor, 
and  one  citizen  responded  to  our  question  concerning  his  birth- 
place, that  he  was  a  "  scorpion." 

Red-coated  soldiers  are  seen  constantly  marching  through 
the  town;  but  when  off  duty  they  fill  the  cafes,  pass  in  and 
out  of  liquor  saloons,  and  are  walking  and  standing  in  the 
streets  and  parks,  lending  a  picturesque  aspect  to  the  place  by 
the  brightness  of  their  uniforms  and  their  erect,  proud  bear- 
ing; for  among  all  the  soldiers  we  have  seen  in  Europe,  none 
keep  step  so  well  or  seem  personally  so  proud  as  those  of  Eng- 
land. Whitewashed  barracks  are  in  different  parts  of  the 
limited  portions  of  Gibraltar  suitable  for  building  purposes,  so 
that  wherever  one  wanders  he  is  likely  to  meet  soldiers.  The 
parade  ground  is  at  the  entrance  of  the  Alameda.  There  the 
regimental  bands  play  in  the  evening,  and  the  music  being 
fine,  the  people  resort  to  this  magnificent  garden,  which  is  laid 
out  in  the  English  style  and  filled  with  trees  and  flowers. 
Elevated  above  the  water,  its  background  the  stern  face  of 
the  rock,  it  affords  a  view  of  the  bay,  the  shipping,  the  bar- 
racks, the  town,  the  opposite  coast  of  Spain,  and  the  bound- 
less expanse  of  waters  to  the  westward ;  and  is  itself  an  en- 
chanting prospect  when  seen  from  the  deck  of  a  vessel. 

The  general  trade  of  Gibraltar  has  declined,  but  in  recent 
years  it  has  come  into  importance  as  a  coaling  station.  In 

1886  four  thousand  seven   hundred  and  six  steamers  entered 
the  port,  with  an  average  tonnage  of  about  a  thousand.     In 

1887  a  half  million  tons  of  coal  were  sold  to  them.     As  the 
coal  is  all  brought  over  in  ships,  the  harbor  presents  a  lively 
and   peculiar   appearance.     In   every   direction   steamers  are 
seen  moored  by  the  side  of  immense  hulks  loaded  with  coal. 
In  the  month  preceding  our  visit  four  hundred  and  ninety-four 
steamers  had  touched  at  the  port. 

While  few  private  gardens  exist  at  Gibraltar,  many  plants 
common  to  the  south  of  Europe,  others  to  the  north  of  Africa, 
some  to  Asia,  and  a  few  indigenous  to  the  rock  grow  there, 


GIBRALTAR.  107 

and  vegetation  appears  on  the  naked  summits,  and  in  the  in- 
terstices of  the  rock  which  was  once  covered  with  forests. 

Little  necessary  to  support  human  life  is  produced  in  Gibral- 
tar, so  that  the  markets  are  of  vital  importance.  Fruits  and 
vegetables  come  from  Spain  and  Africa;  beef  chiefly  from 
Barbary.  We  passed  through  the  Moorish  market,  which  is 
devoted  principally  to  poultry,  and  on  entering  were  greeted 
by  the  Moors  with  signs  of  interest;  but  as  soon  as  they  dis- 
covered that  we  wanted  none  of  their  fowls  they  left  us 
with  a  grunt  similar  to  that  uttered  by  an  American  Indian. 
In  the  general  market  were  displayed  all  the  fruits  with  which 
we  are  familiar  at  home,  and  many  others;  among  them  fine 
apples.  The  salesman,  perceiving  us,  called  out  in  as  good 
English  as  he  could  command:  "Apples!  fine  apples."  As 
we  passed  on  he  exclaimed:  "American  apples!"  This  was 
simply  the  compliment  paid  all  through  Europe  to  American 
apples.  We  have  seen  in  France  and  Spain  apples  more  beauti- 
ful and  symmetrical  in  shape  than  are  often  found  in  America, 
so  finely  polished  and  of  such  peculiar  form  that  one  would 
suspect  that  they  were  wax;  but  in  flavor  and  juiciness  they 
were  far  below  any  of  a  score  of  varieties  which  can  be  found 
distributed  through  New  England  and  the  Middle  States. 

In  these  markets  the  most  curious  spectacle  is  the  crowd : 
"Moors,  Turks,  Greeks,  Jews,  the  Spanish  smuggler,  the 
Catalan  seller,  the  red  coat  of  the  English  private,  mingled 
together,  bawling,  disputing,  bargaining,  and  cheating  in  their 
different  tongues,  ways,  and  gestures."  A  large  number  of 
Maltese  have  recently  settled  in  Gibraltar,  and  are  a  some- 
what disorderly  and  dangerous  element.  When  in  Malta, 
which  is  under  British  control  and  discipline,  they  are  orderly 
enough,  but  away  from  that  point  their  fiery,  daring,  and  re- 
vengeful disposition  shows  itself.  They  mingle  with  the  mot- 
ley crowd  in  the  markets,  and  add  to  the  noise  and  confusion 
of  tongues. 

In  the  Alameda,  which  is  the  fashionable  promenade,  the 
contrast  of  populations  is  equally  striking.  One  sees  London 
bonnets  and  Paris  hats  side  by  side  with  the  mantilla  de  tiro; 
ladies  with  blue  eyes  and  rosy  complexions  next  to  those  hav- 
ing melting  black  orbs  and  olive  skins.  The  differences  in 


io8  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

manner,  toilet,  and  language  noted,  as  we  traversed  the  streets, 
markets,  and  public  places,  furnished  us  constant  amusement. 

Among  the  animals  native  to  the  rock  are  hares  and  rabbits. 
Monkeys  of  extraordinary  size  still  exist  in  the  inaccessible 
fastnesses.  They  have  no  tails,  and  are  harmless,  but  fre- 
quently come  down  and  rob  the  gardens.  They  live  on  the 
roots  of  the  palmettos  and  the  fruits  of  the  prickly  pear.  They 
are  of  a  species  to  be  found  in  northern  Africa,  and  there  has 
been  much  speculation  whether  they  originally  existed  in 
Gibraltar  or  were  brought  in  by  the  Arabs.  Those  who  hold 
that  the  rock  was  once  connected  with  Africa  draw  an  argu- 
ment for  that  view  from  the  existence  of  these  Barbary  apes 
on  Gibraltar.  Montero  thinks  either  supposition  possible. 
Andalusia  was  the  Tarshish  of  the  old  times,  and  these  are  the 
descendants  of  the  apes  for  which  Solomon  sent,  as  described 
in  i  Kings  x,  22:  "  For  the  king  had  at  sea  a  navy  of  Tarshish 
with  the  navy  of  Hiram:  once  in  three  years  came  the  navy  of 
Tarshish  bringing  gold,  and  silver,  ivory,  and  apes,  and  pea- 
cocks." A  native  of  Gibraltar  told  us  that  no  dead  body  or 
skeleton  of  any  of  these  apes  has  been  found.  Whether  these 
manlike  animals  conceal  them  in  caves,  or  throw  them  into  the 
ocean,  none  can  tell. 

Of  public  buildings  there  are  in  Gibraltar  none  of  importance. 
A  thousand  towns  in  Europe  have  more  to  exhibit  in  the  way 
of  architecture,  monuments,  and  other  works  of  art.  Had  the 
English  cathedral  been  intended  as  a  burlesque  of  some  form 
of  architecture  it  would  be  counted  a  successful  attempt. 
Presbyterians,  Wesleyans,  and  other  dissenting  bodies  have 
chapels,  and  there  is  a  Roman  Catholic  church,  a  structure 
which,  without  saying  much  for  it,  can  be  represented  as  the 
most  attractive  public  building  in  Gibraltar. 


GIBRALTAR.  109 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
Gibraltar . — (  Continued . ) 

Geological  Formation — History — Tour  of  Exploration — View  from  the  High- 
est Point — Gibraltar  Compared  with  the  North  Cape — Power  of  England. 

GEOLOGISTS  describe  the  rock  as  composed  of  compact  lime- 
stone, varied  by  beds  of  red  sandstone,  and  fissures  of  bony 
breccia,  resembling  what  is  found  in  the  limestone  rocks  of 
Nice,  Pisa,  and  Dalmatia.  In  this  they  discover  fossils,  such 
as  bones  of  antelope,  deer,  tigers,  rabbits,  rats,  birds,  shells. 
Fossil  shellfish  are  found  "with  both  valves  adhering,"  from 
which  it  is  concluded  that  the  animals  must  have  been  alive  at 
the  time  of  the  upheaval. 

A  convincing  evidence  of  the  catastrophic  character  of  the 
formation  is  the  existence  of  a  marine  beach  nearly  five  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Some  maintain  that  the 
rock  was  formed  by  four  shocks.  In  the  first  was  elevated  the 
highest  part,  chiefly  the  northern  crests;  in  the  second,  the  mid- 
dle or  western  declivities;  and  in  the  third  and  fourth,  the  crests 
at  the  southern  point.  All,  so  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  agree  that 
no  general  change  has  taken  place  in  the  historic  period.  The 
rock  is  so  steep  as  to  afford  the  best  opportunities  for  study- 
ing its  geology,  as  the  strata,  almost  from  sea  level  to  summit, 
can  be  distinguished  without  the  trouble  of  excavation. 

As  it  rises  from  a  flat  surface,  and  there  is  no  hill  fifty  feet 
high  within  several  miles  of  it,  Gibraltar  presents  an  imposing, 
and,  from  some  points  of  view,  an  appalling  aspect.  The 
Phoenicians  either  believed  that  this  was  the  end  of  the  world, 
or  were  determined  to  make  others  believe  it,  so  that  they 
could  maintain  a  monopoly  of  the  commerce  of  the  region. 
The  Pillars  of  Hercules  are  thought  to  have  been  Calpe,  the 
Greek  name  for  Gibraltar,  and  Abyla,  a  mountain  opposite  to 
it  in  Africa.  It  is  supposed  that  with  all  their  enterprise  and 
curiosity,  the  Romans  never  went  beyond  the  Pillars  of  Her- 
cules until  the  time  of  Augustus.  In  ancient  times  no  human 
7 


I10  TRAVKI,S  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

beings  lived  upon  the  rock,  which  was  the  dwelling  place  of 
apes,  wolves,  and  other  wild  animals.  It  derived  its  name 
from  Gebal  Tarik,  who  landed  there  April  7,  711.  Fortified 
and  held  by  the  Moors  until  1309;  captured  by  Spain;  twenty- 
seven  years  afterward  reconquered  by  the  Moors;  held  for 
one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  years;  wrested  from  them  once 
more,  and  finally  incorporated  with  the  Spanish  crown  in  1502, 
it  was  retained  by  Spain  for  two  hundred  and  two  years. 

In  the  first  year  of  the  eighteenth  century  all  western  Europe 
became  involved  in  the  war  of  the  Spanish  succession.  The 
kings  of  France  and  Austria  claimed  the  throne  left  vacant  on 
the  death  of  Charles  II  without  heir.  This  would  include  the 
sovereignty  of  the  Spanish  Netherlands,  the  Milanese,  Naples, 
Sicily,  and  Italy,  and  all  the  vast  possessions  Spain  then  held 
in  America.  The  complications  became  so  numerous  through 
the  operations  of  the  King  of  France,  who  succeeded  in  having 
his  second  grandson  Philip  made  king,  that  Great  Britain,  Ger- 
many, and  Holland  entered  into  an  alliance  against  France  and 
Spain.  It  was  in  the  fourth  year  of  that  war,  on  the  24th  of 
July,  1704,  that  the  rock  was  attacked  and  captured  by  an 
English  force,  though  it  was  taken  in  the  name  of  the  Aus- 
trian Duke.  At  the  end  of  the  conflict  Gibraltar  was  given  to 
Great  Britain,  which  did  not  value  the  acquisition,  and  George 
I  was  ready  to  relinquish  what  was  generally  thought  to  be  a 
"barren  rock,  an  insignificant  fort,  and  a  useless  charge." 
Spain  tried  to  conquer  it  soon  afterward,  but  failed.  It  was 
again  besieged  by  France  in  1779,  and  in  1780  Spain  joined 
France  in  a  siege  lasting  four  years.  An  English  author,  with 
pardonable  pride,  speaking  of  the  repulse  of  the  besieging 
force,  says:  "It  ended  in  the  repulse  of  the  enemy,  whose 
floating  batteries,  the  invention  of  the  ingenious  M.  D'Arcon, 
— that  could  neither  be  burned,  sunk,  nor  taken — were  either 
burned,  sunk,  or  taken  by  plain  Englishmen,  who  stood  to  their 
guns,  on  the  i3th  of  September,  1783." 

Our  first  tour  of  exploration  consisted  of  a  walk  of  about 
twelve  miles,  including  the  entire  western  front  along  the  bay, 
ascending  to  the  summit  of  Windmill  Hill,  passing  around 
Europa  Point  to  the  east  side  of  the  rock.  It  was  not  possi- 
ble to  accomplish  a  great  distance  on  the  east,  as  the  cliffs  are 


GIBRALTAR.  in 

perpendicular,  and  no  fortifications  are  needed.  The  ascents, 
descents,  parallel  walks,  and  view  from  the  summit  of  the  light- 
house which  stands  on  Europa  Point,  give  a  series  of  pros- 
pects in  which  the  beautiful  succeeds  the  picturesque,  rises  to 
the  grand,  and  culminates  in  the  sublime.  Europa  Point  is  but 
five  miles  north  of  the  most  southerly  point  in  the  continent  of 
Europe,  and  is  one  of  two  headlands  which  form  the  Bay  of 
Gibraltar,  the  other  being  Cabrita  Point  in  Spain.  The  glory 
of  being  the  most  southerly  point  belongs  to  Tarifa  Point,  for- 
merly an  island,  but  now  united  to  the  mainland  by  a  causeway. 

We  ascended  the  lighthouse,  and  from  its  summit  beheld 
the  African  coast  before  us;  on  the  right  the  Straits,  stretch- 
ing away  to  the  Atlantic;  on  the  left  the  Mediterranean,  with 
the  mountains  of  Spain,  Tarifa  Point,  and  other  headlands  oi\ 
the  right;  while  above  us,  for  more  than  a  thousand  feet, 
towered  the  rock.  The  lighthouse  is  one  of  the  solid  structures 
which  the  English  build.  Over  its  door  is  this  inscription: 
"Placed  by  Adelaide,  Queen  Dowager  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  17  October,  1838." 

Our  guide  was  a  native  of  the  rock,  who  probably  had  never 
walked  four  miles  in  one  day,  and  a  score  of  times  intimated  as 
much  to  us,  saying  that  the  visitors  generally  rode,  and  he 
"could  not  understand  these  Americans  who  always  wanted  to 
walk."  Yet  he  had  too  much  courage  to  flinch,  and  the  next 
day  was  boasting  of  his  exploit — as  though  the  tramp  of 
twelve  miles  was  anything  more  than  wholesome  exercise. 
Our  next  tour  was  directly  up  the  side  of  the  rock,  before  a 
permit  to  enter  the  fortifications  had  been  secured.  Lured 
by  the  charms  of  the  scenery,  we  proceeded  until  halted 
by  a  sentinel,  who  ordered  us  to  show  a  pass.  The  result  of 
the  interview  was  that  we  concluded  to  retrace  our  steps. 
While  on  this  tour  certain  supposed  monuments  which  had  at- 
tracted attention  were  found  to  be  ventilating  shafts  for  a  new 
system  of  sewerage,  made  necessary  by  the  unhealthfulness  of 
the  town.  The  tops  of  these  shafts  are  five  hundred  feet 
above  the  sea  level. 

As  for  monuments,  there  are  none  of  any  beauty  on  the 
rock.  One  to  General  Eliot,  another  to  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton, are  all  that  I  recall. 


ii2  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

When  Mr.  Sprague  had  secured  our  permit,  we  began  the 
ascent  to  examine  the  fortifications;  no  slight  task,  for  every 
point  "  bristles  with  defensive  works  and  artillery  galleries  and 
batteries  hewn  in  the  solid  stone."  We  ascended  first  to  the 
castle,  which  dates  from  725.  It  is  riddled  with  shot.  The 
master  gunner  accompanied  us  through  the  galleries,  excavated 
out  of  the  solid  rocks,  tunneled  in  tiers,  running  along  the 
north  front,  and  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length.  St.  George's 
Hall  is  fifty  feet  by  thirty-five;  in  it  Nelson  wasfefed. 

From  St.  George's  Hall  we  went  to  the  "Crow's  Nest,"  a 
ledge  pushing  out  at  the  extreme  north.  The  six  or  seven 
hundred  feet  of  rock  above  us  appeared  to  culminate  in  an 
overhanging  cliff.  This  is  one  of  the  illusions  common  in 
£uch  situations,  and  was  dissipated  when  we  were  informed 
that  there  is  a  considerable  slope  inward.  As  we  stood  look- 
ing down  more  than  seven  hundred  feet,  the  gunner  said  that 
the  present  colonel,  who  had  recently  arrived,  was  unable  to 
walk  within  ten  feet  of  the  edge.  Below,  the  town  seemed  in 
miniature,  and  the  vessels  in  the  bay  like  mere  paintings 
upon  the  water;  the  tombs  and  monuments  in  the  cemetery 
were  reduced  to  glistening  white  specks,  and  pedestrians  to 
midgets. 

From  the  highest  point  the  outlook  is  dazzling,  entrancing, 
bewildering.  The  elements  of  the  panorama  are  the  Straits  of 
Gibraltar,  and  beyond  the  coast  of  Morocco,  including  the 
other  Pillar  of  Hercules,  with  the  fortified  town  of  Ceuta  ap- 
parently in  its  lap;  the  "Seven  Mountains  "  westward;  across 
the  bay  the  town  of  Algeciras,  and  the  beaches  through  which 
several  rivers  which  rise  in  the  mountains  of  Ojen  and  Castel- 
lar  run  in  a  serpentine  course  to  the  bay;  the  fort  and  the 
creek  filled  with  vessels;  ancient  towers  along  the  Spanish 
shore;  villages  in  the  meadows  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains; 
the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  whole  of  that  sea  as 
far  as  the  hills  that  surround  Malaga;  interlacing  mountain 
ranges,  and  far  in  the  distance  the  lofty  snow-clad  summits  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  which  "shelters  in  its  folds  that  delightful 
and  picturesque  city  [Granada]  once  the  splendid  court  of  the 
Arabs." 

Gibraltar  is  the  only  rival  I  have  seen   of  the   North  Cape. 


GIBRALTAR.  113 

That  has  the  midnight  sun;  the  boundless,  unexplored  mys- 
tery of  the  Arctic  Ocean;  the  silence,  solemnity,  and  severity 
of  an  uninhabitable  promontory  which,  though  enveloped  half 
the  year  in  a  flood  of  light,  is  during  the  other  engulfed  in  an 
abyss  of  darkness.  But  it  has  no  history.  It  is  a  type  of 
eternity  rather  than  of  time.  Gibraltar,  equally  grand  as  com- 
manding a  view  of  two  continents,  the  scene  of  pivotal  con- 
flicts, and  the  center  of  various  civilizations,  presents  to  the 
physical  eye  a  spectacle  worthy  of  comparison  with  any  natural 


Defenses  of  Gibraltar. 

scene,  while  the  mind's  eye  beholds  the  adventurous  Phoeni- 
cians, pioneers  of  commerce  and  discovery,  followed  by  the 
Greeks,  the  Romans,  the  Spaniards,  the  Moors,  and  the  Eng- 
lish, in  irregular  but  well-defined  order,  so  that  the  rugged 
rock  is  engraven  with  invisible  hieroglyphics,  the  records  of 
human  progress. 

Before  our  departure  we  made  an  excursion  on  horseback 
to  a  mountain  in  Spain,  at  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  known 
as  the  "Queen  of  Spain's  Chair."  During  the  last  im- 


n4  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

portant  siege  she  ascended  that  mountain  to  behold  the  en- 
gagement, and  declared  she  would  never  depart  from  it  until 
the  Spanish  flag  waved  once  more  over  Gibraltar.  The  road 
was  along  the  beach,  thence  through  various  villages,  and 
finally  across  unfenced  fields  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain, 
which  was  about  a  thousand  feet  in  height.  The  excursion 
became  somewhat  adventurous  as  the  way  lay  through  a  region 
where  a  number  of  Spanish  cattle  were  grazing.  Some  of  the 
bulls  looked  savage,  but  contented  themselves  and  us  with 
merely  gazing.  From  the  summit  another  grand  prospect,  in- 
cluding the  rock  itself,  a  more  striking  figure  than  any  other 
was  commanded.  Thence  a  long  descent  took  us  to  the  vil- 
lage of  San  Roque,  and  finally,  after  a  ride  of  eight  hours,  just 
before  the  sundown  gun  was  fired,  we  passed  over  the  "neutral 
ground  "  into  the  town. 

This  neutral  ground  deserves  mention.  It  is  a  strip  of  land 
dividing  the  rock  from  the  mainland.  A  portion  belongs  to 
Spain  and  the  rest  to  England.  The  English  have  undermined 
the  whole  of  their  part,  and  have  also  made  arrangements 
so  that  it  could  instantly  be  covered  with  water.  At  the  bor- 
der a  contrast  is  noticeable  between  the  Spanish  and  English- 
sentries.  The  Spanish  sentinel  is  somewhat  rhetorically  de- 
scribed (by  an  Englishman,  of  course)  as  the  "burnt-up,  black- 
eyed,  thin,  ill-fed,  but  picturesque  child  of  the  sun,  who  lazily 
mounts  guard  side  by  side  with  the  fair-haired,  blue-eyed,  and 
prosaic  son  of  fog  and  rain." 

When  Gibraltar  first  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  English  the 
power  and  uses  of  steam  had  not  been  discovered.  Vessels 
were  of  wood,  and  as  a  constant  current  flows  in  from  the 
Atlantic  about  two  miles  and  a  half  an  hour,  they  could  not 
get  through  the  channel  without  a  fair  wind.  Gibraltar  then 
commanded  the  straits.  Now  it  cannot  do  so.  By  no  guns 
yet  invented  can  it  prevent  ships  from  passing"  into  the  Medi- 
terranean, or  out  into  the  Atlantic.  The  question  thus  arises 
of  how  much  value  is  it  to  England,  and  on  this,  a  practical 
matter,  as  it  costs  the  government  one  million  dollars  annu- 
ally, differences  of  opinion  have  arisen.  Edmund  Burke,  who 
spoke  before  the  days  of  steam,  declared  it  to  be  a  "  post  of 
power,  post  of  superiority,  of  communication,  of  commerce; 


GIBRALTAR.  115 

one  which  makes  us  invaluable  to  our  friends,  and  dreadful  to 
our  enemies." 

A  grave  question  is  whether  Gibraltar  is  impregnable  at  the 
present  time.  The  English  do  not  so  regard  it,  and  are  con- 
stantly strengthening  the  fortifications.  At  the  time  that  we 
were  there  extraordinary  improvements  were  being  introduced. 
Two  new  guns  of  one  hundred  tons  were  being  placed  in  posi- 
tion, one  on  the  Alameda,  another  nearer  Europa  Point.  The 
summit  of  the  rock  is  also  being  fortified.  At  present,  should 
an  enemy  land,  there  would  be  no  guns  to  cover  him,  but  ar- 
rangements are  being  made  to  supply  this  defect.  Three  pits 
thirty  feet  deep  are  being  dug,  one  near  O'Hara's  Tower, 
another  near  the  signal  station,  and  a  third  near  the  flagstaff. 
In  the  lower  part  of  these  pits  are  to  be  magazines,  and  above 
revolving  guns,  which  will  have  a  complete  circuit  of  fire,  cover 
boats  at  anchorage,  and  from  their  elevation,  averaging  from 
twelve  hundred  to  thirteen  hundred  feet,  they  will  command 
the  town  of  Gibraltar.  Nine  two-inch  guns  are  to  be  placed 
above  Queen's  Row,  at  a  height  of  six  hundred  feet,  running 
the  entire  length  of  the  rock. 

The  impressive  feature  of  the  whole  situation  is  the  evi- 
dence of  the  power  of  England.  It  is  one  of  the  outposts  on 
the  way  to  her  wide  Eastern  domain.  Here  her  fleets  can  be 
sheltered,  provisioned,  and  coaled.  Malta  and  Cyprus,  the 
former  one  of  the  strongest  fortifications  in  the  world,  lie  at 
convenient  distances  beyond.  When  reflecting  upon  the  small 
size  and  comparatively  limited  population  of  Great  Britain,  I 
felt  myself  in  the  presence  of  a  power  vaster,  taking  all  the 
forms  of  influence  into  the  account,  than  any  now  existing, 
perhaps  than  any  which  has  ever  existed.  Observe  the  table 
which  I  had  before  me: 

Area,  sq.  m.  Population,  1881. 

United  Kingdom 121,135  34,885,000 

European  Dependencies 423  328,000 

North  America 3,510,611  4,520,000 

West  Indies  and  Central  America. . . .  20,564  1,244,000 

South  America 79.664  255,000 

Africa 565,000  3,490,000 

Asia 1,410,000  257,467,000 

Australasia 3,175.870  2,914,000 


Total 8,983,267       305,103,000 


ii6  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Note  how  small  a  proportion  the  size  and  population  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland  bear  to  the  whole  empire  which  ac- 
knowledges Victoria! 

But  the  time  came  to  depart,  and  at  ten  o'clock  on  Wednes- 
day, January  2,  \ve  embarked  in  a  small  boat,  and  rode  out 
two  miles  to  the  point  where  our  steamer  was  coaling.  As  we 
drew  near  she  began  to  move,  and  this  gave  us  the  most  beauti- 
ful starlight  ride  of  five  or  six  miles,  until  the  object  of  our 
pursuit  came  to  anchor.  We  were  not  disturbed,  being  four 
hours  in  advance  of  the  advertised  time  of  sailing.  The  huge 
frowning  rock  that  seemed  to  rear  its  head  to  the  stars, 
the  thousand  lights  in  the  town  and  barracks,  the  sparkling 
tapers  in  the  half-score  of  villages,  and  colored  lanterns  upon 
the  hundred  ships  in  the  bay,  the  distant  mountain  peaks,  and 
the  phosphorescent  gleam  upon  the  waters,  while  carrying 
visual  delight  to  a  point  of  ecstasy,  taught  us  its  limitations, 
for  we  were  in  a  pleasurable  pain  lest,  while  looking  in  one 
direction,  another  view  would  be  lost.  Meanwhile  a  military 
band  was  playing  upon  the  esplanade,  and  clear  and  sweet 
across  the  waters  came  snatches  of  martial  music,  rising  and 
falling  "like  bells  at  evening  pealing."  Suddenly  a  flash  like 
lightning  gleamed  on  the  highest  summit  of  the  huge  black 
mountain,  and  the  loud  boom  of  the  evening  gun  was  heard. 
We  were  six  miles  away,  and  more  than  thirty  seconds  elapsed 
before  the  thunder  overtook  the  lightning. 


ALGERIA.  119 


CHAPTER  XV. 
Algeria. 

Voyage  from  Gibraltar  to  Oran — Description  of  Oran — Railway  Journey  to 
Algiers — Its  Appearance  on  Approaching  by  Night — Jardin  des  Plantes — 
Old  Arab  Town — "Marabouts." 

ON  sailing  from  Gibraltar  for  Algeria  we  were  pleased  with 
the  name  of  our  steamer — the  Afrique.  But  as  "the  legs  of 
the  lame  are  unequal,"  so  is  the  conclusion  of  him  who  hath 
but  one  premise ;  for  the  Afrique  is  old  enough  to  have  had 
the  choice  of  names  when  the  line  was  established;  noisy, 
rickety,  literally  unstable  as  water,  the  voyage  of  three  or  four 
days  was  linked  misery  long  drawn  out. 

The  Afrique,  after  bumping  day  and  night,  silenced  its 
machinery  in  the  alleged  harbor  of  Nemours,  the  first  French 
town  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  only  twenty-five  miles  from  the 
frontier  of  Morocco.  The  bay  is  sheltered  from  all  winds  ex- 
cept the  one  from  which  in  that  latitude  bad  weather  generally 
comes.  It  is  impossible  to  get  on  shore  except  during  fine 
weather.  Had  it  been  a  little  worse,  none  of  the  passengers 
for  that  place  could  have  disembarked,  and  no  cargo  could 
have  been  taken  on.  We  loaded  over  eight  thousand  sacks  of 
Algerian  wheat  of  an  inferior  quality,  all  of  which  was  brought 
off  amid  raging  waves  in  open  boats  manned  by  Moors  and 
Negroes.  It  was  a  spectacle  of  unceasing  interest  to  see  the 
long  line  of  men  with  sacks  on  their  shoulders  coming  down 
among  the  breakers,  filling  the  boats,  and  then  rowing  them 
more  than  half  a  mile  out  to  the  ship. 

Above  the  town  were  the  fortifications  and  the  ruins  of  the 
old  Arab  settlement.  The  coast  is  high,  stern,  and  almost 
inaccessible.  There  are  mines  in  the  neighborhood,  and  a 
company  formerly  manufactured  and  exported  much  pig  iron; 
but  during  the  insurrection  of  1871  the  Arabs  destroyed  the 
machinery. 

Late  in   the  night  we  reached   Oran.     Remaining  on  board 


,20  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

till  daylight,  on  disembarking  we  found  a  town  which,  in 
beauty  of  situation,  fine  streets,  noble  public  and  charming 
private  buildings,  surpasses  most  French  seaports.  It  lies  on 
the  steep  slope  of  a  mountain  whose  summit  is  crowded  with 
fortifications.  Rocky  capes  tower  a  thousand  feet,  and  prom- 
ontories surmounted  by  lighthouses  project  picturesquely 
into  the  sea.  The  public  buildings  are  mostly  new,  and  the 
mosques  and  cathedral  are  of  marble.  We  rode  through  the 
entire  city,  and  nowhere  were  without  something  to  charm 
the  eye.  The  forts  on  the  heights  and  in  the  town,  some 
at  an  elevation  of  above  a  thousand  feet,  strike  the  beholder  at 
once  as  impressive  features.  The  city  is  surrounded  by  a 
high  wall,  with  nine  gates.  Everywhere  modern  enterprise 
was  evident.  Many  new  buildings  of  remarkable  proportions 
were  in  process  of  construction. 

For  unmingled  pleasure  commend  us  to  the  railway  ride 
by  day  from  Oran  to  Algiers.  The  thirteen  hours,  instead 
of  fatiguing,  exhilarated.  Algeria  is  divided  into  the  Tell 
(the  beautiful  region  between  the  mountains  and  the  coast 
range),  the  High  Plateaus,  and  the  Desert  of  Sahara.  The 
divisions  are  caused  by  the  Atlas  Mountains,  which  run  fif- 
teen hundred  miles  from  Cape  Nun,  on  the  Atlantic,  to  Cape 
Bon,  in  Tunis.  The  Tell  is  only  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 
miles  in  width,  and  in  the  province  of  Oran  it  does  not  aver- 
age sixty. 

The  railway  runs  through  the  very  heart  of  this  expanse 
of  undulating  land,  where  crops  can  be  cultivated  success- 
fully through  the  year,  and  the  traveler  may  see  oranges 
in  bloom,  and  at  the  same  time  countless  groves  filled  with 
ripe  fruit.  The  almond  with  its  beautiful  blossoms  resembles 
a  cherry  tree  in  bloom.  Along  the  shore  are  low  hills,  between 
which  we  caught  glimpses  of  the  sea;  while  fifty  miles  inland 
rise  the  loftier  mountains.  The  country  is  without  fences,  and 
the  roads  are  smooth  and  hard  as  granite.  We  were  never  out 
of  sight  of  native  cottages,  establishments  of  landed  proprie- 
tors, charming  villages,  and  picturesque  Arabs  laboring  in  the 
fields,  donkeys  laden  with  vegetables,  processions  of  Arabs 
on  foot  intermingling  freely  with  the  French.  The  French 
are  the  aristocrats  of  this  whole  region,  and  when  employed 


ALGERIA.  121 

for  menial  work  they  often  become  drunkards.  In  subordi- 
nate capacities  they  are  found  unreliable. 

Algiers,  when  approached  by  night,  presents  the  appearance 
of  the  milky  way.  Its  shops  being  gayly  lighted,  and  the 
principal  streets  arcaded,  a  confused  mellow  light  which  only 
yields  distant  points  to  the  vision  when  the  eye  is  concen- 
trated, gives  the  spectator  a  sensation  with  which  only  the 
stolid  would  fail  to  be  pleased.  On  coming  nearer,  it  was 
difficult  to  distinguish  the  sky  from  the  earth;  for  the  high 
hills  upon  the  side  of  which  Algiers  is  built  sparkled  with 
lights  radiating  from  the  Moorish  and  other  villas  which  oc- 
cupy them. 

A  long  walk  to  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  made  us  familiar  with 
the  general  aspects  of  the  city,  revealing  a  landscape  contain- 
ing all  the  elements  of  natural  beauty;  the  sea  in  agitation  be- 
yond, calm  as  a  lake  on  a  summer  evening  within  the  bay; 
afar  ermine  mountains  ;  nearer  vine  and  forest  covered  hills, 
and  every  variety  of  tree  and  flower  artistically  arranged  in 
spacious  avenues  adorned  with  fountains.  At  no  great  dis- 
tance appeared  the  city,  and  upon  the  slopes  the  villas  and 
gardens  of  the  wealthy  French,  English,  and  Scotch,  who  winter 
there,  and  of  prosperous  merchants  of  Algiers  who  have  sub- 
urban residences.  In  the  Jardin  grow  magnolias,  india  rub- 
ber, fig,  orange,  lemon,  bamboo,  palm,  dwarf  palm,  banana, 
cork,  olive,  and  eucalyptus  trees,  together  with  the  acacias 
casuarinis,  imported  from  Australia. 

The  old  Arab  town  gives  a  more  favorable  impression  than 
that  made  by  Tangier.  It  is  on  a  steep  hillside,  the  houses  are 
white,  the  streets  only  five  or  six  feet  wide,  and  so  crooked 
that  no  carriages  can  pass  through  them.  They  are  connected 
by  alleys,  some  of  them  less  than  two  feet  wide.  The  roofs 
lean  toward  each  other,  sometimes  leaving  not  more  than 
twelve  inches  for  the  sunlight  to  enter.  Yet  there  is  a  con- 
stant draught  of  air,  the  slope  keeps  them  clean,  and  they  are 
sweeter  than  many  wide  streets  in  European  cities. 

It  is  impossible  to  obtain  access  to  the  interior  of  a  Moor's 
house  of  the  better  class.  Residents  told  us  that  the  wealth- 
ier Moors,  avoiding  studiously  everything  like  external  display, 
carry  internal  elegance  and  picturesqueness  to  the  highest  pos- 


122  TRAVKLS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

sible  point.  No  Moorish  woman  of  high  rank  is  ever  seen 
alone  in  the  street.  The  description  given  to  us  of  the  in- 
terior of  the  best  Moorish  houses  is  fascinating.  The  outer 
door  opens  into  the  vestibule,  on  each  side  of  which  is  a  stone 
bench  divided  into  stalls  by  marble  columns.  Above  is  the 
arch.  The  master  here  receives  his  male  friends.  Then 
comes  the  open  court,  paved  with  marble  or  tiles,  having  an 
arcade  all  around.  Here  the  important  domestic  festivities, 
such  as  marriage  and  circumcision,  are  held.  Around  it  are 
kitchens,  storehouses,  baths.  The  private  rooms  are  above. 
The  houses  rise  one  above  another,  and  each  has  a  flat  terrace. 

In  some  respects  the  palace  of  the  archbishop  is  as  interest- 
ing a  building  as  Algiers  contains.  It  and  the  Cathedral  of 
St.  Philip,  built  on  the  site  of  the  Mosque  of  Hassan,  exhibit  to 
excellent  advantage  the  present  condition  of  Roman  Catholi- 
cism in  Algiers.  The  archiepiscopal  palace  is  of  Moorish 
origin,  modified  to  suit  modern  purposes. 

A  remarkable  tomb  is  shown  containing  the  body  of  an 
Arab,  named  Geronimo,  who  accepted  Christianity  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five  years,  having  been  baptized  as  an  infant.  Being 
captured  four  years  after  his  formal  acceptance  of  Christianity, 
and  refusing  to  recant,  while  yet  alive,  his  feet  and  hands  hav- 
ing been  bound  with  cords,  he  was  covered  with  fresh  con- 
crete, after  which  the  block  thus  formed  was  properly  shaped 
and  built  into  an  angle  of  the  wall.  The  place  was  carefully 
recorded,  and  in  1853,  three  hundred  years  afterward,  it  was 
necessary  to  destroy  the  fort,  and  in  the  very  spot  the  skeleton 
was  found  inclosed  in  the  block.  The  bones  were  interred  in 
the  cathedral.  Liquid  plaster  of  Paris  was  then  run  into  the 
cavity  and  a  model  obtained  showing  his  very  features  and  the 
marks  of  the  cords  that  bound  him. 

The  so-called  new  mosque  is  probably  two  hundred  years  of 
age,  and  a  legend  says  that  the  Italian  architect  who  built  it 
was  put  to  death  by  the  Arabs  because  he  had  constructed  it  in 
the  form  of  a  Greek  cross.  But  the  Grand  Mosque  is  far  more 
impressive,  and  is  the  most  ancient  in  the  country,  dating 
from  the  eleventh  century.  To  this  day  a  part  of  it  is  used 
as  a  court  of  justice,  and  we  saw  the  cadi  engaged  in  the 
transaction  of  business. 


Moorish  Woman  in  Street  Costume. 


ALGERIA.  125 

On  and  near  the  tomb  of  Sidi  Abd-er-Rahman-eth-Thalebi 
perpetual  lamps  burn,  and  the  richest  silk  drapery  is  hung. 
All  about  are  banners,  eggs  of  ostriches,  and  other  gifts. 
Next  to  the  Grand  Mosque  it  is  the  most  ancient  religious 
building  in  Algeria.  We  visited  the  tombs  of  several  "  mara- 
bouts." These  are  saints,  and  such  visits,  if  made  in  faith, 
are  supposed  to  heal  diseases,  ward  off  ill  luck,  and  do  many 
other  things  which  the  Catholics  claim  are  accomplished  by 
their  pilgrimages,  and  professional  Protestant  "faith  healers  " 
by  their  operations. 

Some  of  the  living  ''marabouts"  we  saw.  Most  of  them 
are  insane;  and  the  Mohammedans,  like  many  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  Russia,  believe  that  a  person  who  has  lost  his  senses 
is  visited  by  God,  with  whom  he  holds  converse.  This  gives 
wide  scope  for  impostors,  many  of  whom  feign  madness.  An 
old  fellow  of  this  sort  we  found  engaged  in  fulminating  bitter 
imprecations  against  some  one.  A  friend,  who  translated  the 
Arabic  for  us,  said  that  probably  he  was  paid  to  do  it.  We 
heard  much  of  the  fanatic  religious  ceremonies  of  the  Ais- 
saoui,  which  consist  of  the  beating  of  drums  and  other  in- 
struments, after  which  one  of  the  order,  claiming  inspiration, 
rushes  with  a  wild  howl  into  a  ring  and  begins  to  dance,  joined 
by  others  who  continue  until  they  fall  exhausted  or  are  stopped 
by  the  head  of  the  order.  After  this  they  sear  themselves 
with  a  red-hot  iron,  eat  live  scorpions  and  serpents,  chew 
broken  glass,  and  appear  insensible  to  pain.  The  head  of  the 
order,  with  a  keen  eye  to  business,  offered  to  get  up  a  per- 
formance for  us  for  forty-five  francs.  Having  no  difficulty  in 
understanding  how  all  that  they  really  do  could  be  done  with- 
out supernatural  aid,  we  declined  the  tolerably  cheap  offer. 

Those  ancient  sacrificial  rites  performed  on  the  seashore,  in 
which  Negroes,  degenerate  Jews,  and  Mohammedans  partic- 
ipated in  slaughtering  fowls  and  lambs,  burning  incense,  and 
smearing  themselves  with  blood  in  order  to  cure  diseases  and 
obtain  prosperity,  have  disappeared  under  the  influence  of 
European  civilization.  We  saw  some  who  still  perform  in  secret 
places,  and  thus  passed  from  mosque,  synagogue,  and  church 
to  the  darkest  heathenism  and  superstition. 


T26  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
Algiers  and  the  Atlas  Mountains. 

The  Hlack  Virgin — Strange  Ceremony — Interview  with  a  Moor — Algerine 
Pirates — Arab  Cemetery — Bearded  Priests — Power  of  the  Jews — Sir  Peter 
Coates — Tour  to  the  Atlas  Mountains — French  Engineering — Apes — Wild 
Animals. 

ASCENDING  the  height,  a  peak  of  Mount  Bon-Zarea,  upon 
which  stands  the  Catholic  Church  of  Notre  Dame  d'Afrique, 
we  enjoyed  a  splendid  view  of  the  sea  and  city.  The  Virgin 
Mary  has  been  subjected  to  remarkable  artistic  treatment. 
Here  we  found  her  one  of  the  blackest  of  Negroes.  In  most 
other  cities  she  is  as  white  as  the  fairest  lily.  The  legend 
runs  that  the  Virgin  appeared  to  some  native  of  Africa  in  the 
form  of  a  tall  black  woman.  This  inscription  surrounds  the 
altar:  "Notre  Dame  d'Afrique,  priez  four  nous  et  pour  les 
Mussulmans  " — (Our  Lady  of  Africa,  pray  for  us  and  for  the 
Moslems). 

The  place  is  famous  for  a  ceremony  which  is  said  to  have  no 
parallel.  It  is  performed  every  Sunday  afternoon,  after  ves- 
pers: the  clergy  chant  the  usual  prayers  for  the  dead,  then  go 
in  procession  to  a  point  which  overhangs  the  sea,  and  over  that 
greatest  of  sepulchers  perform  the  ceremonies  which  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  appoints  for  ordinary  funerals.  A  fine  monu- 
ment has  been  erected,  on  which  is  an  inscription  of  which  the 
following  is  a  translation: 

S.  EM.  C.  CARDINAL  CHARLES  MARTIAL  ALLEMAND-LAVIGERIE, 
Archbishop  of  Algiers  and  of  Carthage,  Primate  of  Africa, 

has  been  kind  enough  to  accord  in  perpetuity 
one  hundred  days  of  indulgence  to  all  those  who  will  recite  here  one 

pater  and  one  ave 

for  the  sailors  who  have  perished  on  the  sea,  or  those  who  find  them- 
selves in  peril  of  death. 

The  Pope,  LEO  XHIth,  has  accorded  full  indulgence  to  those  who 
will  recite  these  prayers  on  Sunday. 


ALGIERS  AND  THE  ATLAS  MOUNTAINS.  127 

From  this  point  we  took  a  walk  of  nine  miles,  ascending  to 
the  loftiest  summit  in  the  vicinity  of  Algiers.  The  route  was 
by  an  old,  disused  Arab  road. 

After  we  had  been  walking  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  ab- 
sorbed in  the  enchanting  prospects,  a  formidable  voice  was 
heard  demanding  in  the  French  language  where  we  were 
going.  It  came  from  the  mouth  of  a  Moor  of  distinguished 
appearance,  apparently  sixty-five  years  of  age,  who  stood  in 
front  of  a  fine  old  Moorish  mansion.  Our  guide  informed  him 
that  we  were  ascending  to  the  observatory.  He  responded: 
"I  have  bought  the  property  and  broken  up  the  road.  You 
must  go  back." 

Perceiving  from  the  excellence  of  his  French  that  he  was  an 
educated  man,  we  began  to  use  blandishments,  informed  him 
that  we  were  Americans,  would  not  have  presumed  to  trespass 
upon  the  property  had  we  not  supposed  that  the  road  was 
open,  whereupon  his  bronze  features  relaxed  into  a  smile  that 
lighted  up  his  countenance  like  warm  sunshine  on  a  winter 
day.  He  allowed  us  to  pass,  taking  pains,  however,  to  send  us 
by  a  path  which  led  us  as  far  as  possible  from  the  house. 

We  ascended  to  the  point  of  observation  whence  in  old  times 
the  piratical  Algerines  scrutinized  the  sea  for  merchant  vessels 
traversing  the  Mediterranean.  Nor  were  those  times  so  very 
long  since.  Less  than  a  hundred  years  ago  Algiers  was  the 
terror  of  the  civilized  world.  European  powers  obeyed  the 
orders  of  the  Dey,  who  exacted  annual  tributes  from  all  con- 
suls, and,  whenever  he  needed  money,  declared  war  on  some 
commercial  nation.  Spain,  Holland,  Venice,  Denmark,  Portu- 
gal, and  Naples  were  obliged  to  purchase  peace,  and  the  United 
States,  in  1795,  na^  to  do  the  same,  at  a  cost  of  seven  hundred 
and  twenty-one  thousand  dollars,  and  the  further  agreement 
to  pay  a  tribute  annually  of  twenty-two  thousand  dollars. 

Immediately  after  the  revolution  Algiers  declared  war  on 
the  United  States.  In  a  few  years  it  captured- thirteen  prizes 
and  made  slaves  of  more  than  a  hundred  American  citizens. 
It  was  after  this  that  the  price  just  mentioned  was  paid, 
partly  as  a  ransom  for  these  captives,  and  partly  in  presents. 
In  1812  it  again  declared  war  against  the  United  States,  and 
began  to  capture  vessels,  when  the  President  begged  the  Dey 


uS  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

to  negotiate  another  ransom.  He  refused,  affirming  that  "he 
considered  American  slaves  as  beyond  price."  In  May,  1815, 
the  United  States  sent  a  squadron  to  Algiers  to  demand  a 
modification  of  all  treaties.  Captains  Decatur  and  Bain- 
bridge  happened  to  arrive  when  the  Algerian  vessels  were 
away,  and  secured  what  was  demanded. 

Two  years  later  Great  Britain  compelled  the  Dey  to  abolish 
Christian  slavery  forever,  to  liberate  all  slaves  then  in  his 
dominion,  and  to  restore  all  money  received  by  him  for  the 
redemption  of  slaves,  the  result  of  which  was  the  liberation  of 
three  thousand  and  three  European  Christians.  But  the  old 
spirit  was  there,  and  not  till  the  French  conquered  Algeria 
was  this  organized  piracy  brought  to  an  end. 

Here  were  we  in  sight  of  the  port  whence  they  sailed,  and  of 
the  estates  built  by  the  produce  of  their  piracy.  From  this 
elevated  view  point  they  could  see  more  than  sixty  miles,  and 
with  their  trained  eyes  probably  eighty.  Their  faster  cruisers 
were  always  in  readiness,  and  woe  to  the  unsuspecting  mer- 
chant vessel  becalmed  upon  the  Mediterranean  off  Algiers, 
where  expert  rowers,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  could  sally 
forth,  plunder,  kill,  or  enslave. 

A  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  stands  the  observatory,  in  a 
translucent  atmosphere,  and  at  a  height  most  favorably  situ- 
ated to  scour  the  heavens. 

We  climbed  still  higher  to  Bon-Zarea.  This  is  a  small 
European  settlement,  but  the  native  village,  about  two  thirds 
of  a  mile  to  the  left,  was  the  object  of  interest  to  us.  There, 
in  inclosures  of  prickly  pears  of  size,  are  several  "  koubbas " 
(tombs  of  saints),  the  most  noted  of  which  is  that  of  Sidi 
Naaman,  of  alleged  miraculous  powers.  This  place  is  dis- 
tinguished for  dwarf  palms  of  such  extraordinary  height  as  to 
make  a  difficult  problem  for  botanists.  The  apex  of  the 
elevation  is  occupied  by  an  Arab  cemetery.  The  stones, 
masonry,  and  monuments,  almost  hidden  beneath  old  trees, 
vines,  and  shrubs,  present  a  picture  of  crystallized  antiquity. 

Thence  in  a  walk  of  six  miles  we  returned  by  a  longer  but 
level  winding  road  to  the  suburb  of  Bab-el-Oued.  The  French 
Alpine  Club  had  shortened  our  journey  by  constructing  a  steep 
but  not  difficult  footpath  down  the  mountain  side. 


ALGIERS  AND  THE  ATLAS  MOUNTAINS.  129 

Struck  with  the  beards  worn  by  the  priests  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  churches,  streets,  and  funeral  processions,  we  found 
that,  as  among  Arabs  the  beard  is  the  sign  of  manhood  (the 
Arab  swearing  by  the  beard),  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
compels  its  priests  in  Africa  to  wear  them.  If  they  are  trans- 
ferred from  France  to  Algeria,  they  cannot  shave;  if  they 
return  permanently  to  France,  they  must  do  so.  Noticing 
years  ago  in  the  paintings  of  bishops  and  priests  in  the  galler- 
ies of  Europe  that  they  were  often  represented  with  beards,  I 
asked  a  priest  how  the  requirement,  that  priests  should  wear 
shaven  faces,  originated.  He  frankly  replied  that  he  could 
not  state;  that  some  claimed  it  was  an  order  issued  by  a  pope 
who  could  not  raise  a  beard.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  rule  is 
relaxed  by  dispensation  in  special  cases,  and  entirely  where  the 
Church  can  gain  influence  by  it. 

One  of  the  fortifications  now  commanding  the  town  was 
built  by  the  Moors  on  the  spot  where  Charles  V  had  his  camp 
during  his  unsuccessful  assault  upon  Algiers.  Here  the 
French  general  received  the  capitulation  of  the  Dey.  Many 
are  the  traditions  exhibiting  the  bloodthirsty  spirit  of  those 
despotic  rulers.  Once  the  Dey  returning  looked  at  the  wall 
where  executions  took  place,  and  saying,  "That  wall  is 
hungry,"  ordered  that  every  prisoner  except  such  as  he  chose 
to  favor  should  be  executed  for  his  amusement  the  next  morn- 
ing. 

The  Jews  are  powerful  in  Algeria,  both  in  Oran  and  Al- 
giers, owning  the  best  building  sites  and  buildings,  keeping 
the  largest  shops  and  stores,  and  making  the  bulk  of  the  pop- 
ulation tributary  to  them.  In  Oran  the  Moors  hate  them  so 
that,  if  the  French  troops  were  withdrawn,  they  would  prob- 
ably make  short  work  with  them.  Many  are  men  of  the 
greatest  financial  and  general  ability,  and  some  of  high  char- 
acter. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  the  villas  purchased  from  the 
Moors  or  erected  in  the  Moorish  style  by  foreigners  who 
escape  the  rigors  of  severe  climes  by  spending  the  winters  in 
Algiers.  Among  these  one  of  the  most  beautiful  is  that  occu- 
pied by  Sir  Peter  Coates,  a  name  carried  all  over  the  world  on 
spools  of  thread. 
8 


,3o  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

To  Sir  Peter  I  had  a  letter  of  introduction  from  his  old 
friend  Dr.  William  M.  Taylor,  of  the  Broadway  Tabernacle. 
On  presenting  it  1  was  received  as  though  a  relative  of  the 
family,  and  every  courtesy  exhibited.  It  was  not  the  privi- 
lege of  seeing  the  interior  of  so  fine  a  residence,  nor  of 
gazing  upon  a  prospect  of  surpassing  loveliness,  nor  of  wit- 
nessing the  perfection  of  detail  and  the  happy  combination  of 
beauty  and  utility  in  all  the  arrangements,  nor  the  luxuriant 
growth  of  vegetation  of  nature  left  to  itself,  or  where  its  pro- 
fusion is  trained  and  pruned  by  art,  that  we  most  highly  es- 
teemed— one  need  not  leave  the  United  States  to  enjoy  these 
things — but  such  honest,  downright,  bounteous,  Scotch,  Chris- 
tian hospitality.  Sir  Peter,  though  just  past  his  eightieth 
year,  was  full  of  vivacity.  His  munificence  in  the  support  of 
education,  philanthropy,  and  in  promoting  public  welfare  in 
other  ways,  led  to  his  being  knighted  by  the  queen.  Conver- 
sation of  the  host  and  the  younger  members  of  the  family  and 
visitors  left  upon  the  travelers,  who  sat  at  his  table  during  the 
long  winter  (summer)  evening,  a  permanent  sense  of  delight. 
His  death  was  announced  while  this  volume  was  being  prepared. 

The  long  chain  of  the  Atlas  Mountains,  much  of  which  is 
an  almost  unknown  territory  to  civilized  nations,  in  Algeria 
approaches  the  coast,  is  within  the  range  of  French  adminis- 
tration, and  accessible  to  pedestrians  or  travelers  on  horseback 
or  by  diligence.  Our  course  for  thirty  miles  was  through 
a  fertile,  charming  part  of  the  Tell  country  to  Blidah.  As  we 
approached  that  place — a  military  station  in  the  time  of  the 
Romans,  destroyed  by  an  earthquake  in  1825,  but  soon  rebuilt 
—we  came  to  a  succession  of  gardens,  traversed  shady  roads, 
and  passed  a  sacred  grove  of  the  Arabs,  entering  the  town 
between  orange  groves  where  the  trees  were  borne  almost  to 
earth  by  the  abundance  of  fruit. 

Blidah  is  beautifully  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  first  slopes  of 
the  Atlas  Mountains.  Their  forms,  here  dark  and  there  snow- 
clad,  send  lung  shadows  across  the  town,  while  the  verdant 
plain  stretches  away  to  the  hills  along  the  coast.  Procuring 
horses,  we  began  the  journey  into  the  mountains.  The  cold, 
stimulating  breeze  from  the  snowy  peaks,  shaded  valleys,  and 
steep  ravines,  reminded  us  more  of  an  American  winter  day 


ALGIERS  AND  THE  ATLAS  MOUNTAINS.  133 

than  anything  previously  experienced  in  Africa.  Upon  the 
hillsides  tombs  of  "marabouts,"  often  inclosed  in  consecrated 
houses  of  prayer,  white  as  snow;  the  flanks  of  the  Atlas  splen- 
didly covered  with  cedars;  barren  rocky  ridges,  too  precipitous 
for  earth  or  trees;  distant  isolated  peaks,  fortified  hills,  and 
pastoral  landscapes  diversified  with  roads,  irrigating  streams, 
and  small  rivers,  filled  the  eye  with  light  and  beauty. 

We  were  in  the  vicinity  of  ancient  Numidia,  and  saw  above 
the  horizon  a  building  whose  construction  is  attributed  to  a 
Numidian  queen.  Numidia,  generally  speaking,  is  held  to 
correspond  to  a  part  of  the  neighboring  French  province  of 
Constantine.  The  ancient  inhabitants  were  the  Berbers, 
divided  into  Kabyles  and  the  Chawia;  and  Arabs,  divided 
into  Moors  and  Bedouins.  The  Kabyles  and  the  Arabs,  though 
both  Mohammedan,  have  always  been  intensely  hostile,  and 
often  in  fierce  conflict.  The  Arabs  prevailed  and  drove  the 
Kabyles  into  the  mountain  fastnesses  and  higher  table-lands, 
where  they  maintained  their  independence  until  recently.  In 
many  customs  they  differ  from  the  Arabs.  Their  habits  are 
regular,  and  they  are  excellent  farmers,  nor  do  they  cover 
the  faces  of  their  women,  who  have  a  better  reputation  than 
Moorish  women  of  the  same  classes,  notwithstanding  that 
supposed  protection. 

On  entering  the  gorge  of  the  Chiffa,  a  stupendous  chasm  in 
the  mountains  extending  ten  miles,  we  were  met  by  the  little 
river  Chiffa,  which  came  dancing  down  the  hillsides  out  into 
the  plain,  like  a  schoolgirl  escaped  after  a  long  penance  at  the 
desk.  To  the  right  towered  Djebel  Mouzaia,  between  five  and 
six  thousand  feet  high.  The  French  road,  built  by  military 
engineers,  may  be  styled  a  perfect  achievement  of  road 
engineering.  It  is  blasted  out  of  the  solid  rock  for  almost  the 
entire  distance,  often  carried  along  the  face  of  the  cliff,  pro- 
tected by  thick  stone  walls,  and  in  some  parts  built  in  the  bed 
of  the  stream.  The  work  was  done  by  soldiers  in  the  early 
days  of  the  capture  of  Algeria  by  the  French,  while  the 
Kabyles  were  on  the  higher  summits  rolling  stones  upon  them. 
The  French  army  beat  back  the  hardy  mountaineers,  and  made 
a  road  through  this  tremendous  gorge  finer  than  any  to  be 
found  in  Central  Park. 


!34  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  farther  we  penetrated,  the  more  striking  became  the 
scenery.  It  has  been  complained  by  some  that  snow  moun- 
tains and  glaciers,  such  as  are  seen  in  Switzerland,  are  absent 
from  the  Atlas  range.  There  was  no  lack  of  snowy  summits 
in  January.  At  first  the  sides  of  the  gorge  were  covered  with 
trees,  except  where  there  were  precipices  several  hundred  feet 
in  height,  over  which  small  streams  ran  in  a  kind  of  spray, 
swollen  by  the  recent  rains  and  the  melting  snows;  but, as  we 
ascended,  glimpses  of  heights  above  the  line  of  vegetation  gave 
us  the  true  mountain  horizon. 

At  one  point  there  is  a  steep  path  leading  up  the  mountain 
side  to  a  garden.  Here  a  futile  attempt  was  made  to  cul- 
tivate coffee  and  other  exotics.  We  climbed  the  path  until, 
owing  to  its  precipitousness  and  dampness,  it  became  danger- 
ous, one  of  the  party  being  struck  by  a  falling  stone,  which 
needed  only  a  little  greater  momentum  or  a  sharper  edge  to 
have  cut  short  the  journey  and  sent  the  traveler  home  a  crip- 
ple for  life. 

These  mountains  abound  with  apes,  which  often  amuse 
themselves  by  pelting  the  passer  with  stones.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  engineering  operations  which  have  been  going  on  for  a 
long  time,  they  still  appear,  leaping  from  branch  to  branch  of 
the  wild  olive  trees  and  the  junipers,  breaking  off  the  branches 
of  the  fruit  trees  and  screaming  at  their  play,  or  in  their 
humanlike  struggles  for  the  largest  apples  or  pears.  They 
have  a  mania,  too,  for  tearing  off  beautiful  ferns  and  flowers. 
The  morning  that  we  looked  for  them  they  were  somewhat 
shy  owing  to  the  cold  weather,  so  that  we  saw  only  one  or  two, 
and  they  were  a  considerable  distance  away. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Kabylean  Mountains,  in  their  opin- 
ions of  monkeys,  reverse  the  Darwinian  theory.  When 
their  depredations  are  serious  the  natives  will  drive  them 
away,  but  hesitate  to  kill  them,  believing  them  descended 
from  men  who,  having  incurred  the  anger  of  God,  were  de- 
prived of  speech. 

To  catch  monkeys  the  natives  prepare  a  jar  containing  nuts, 
almonds,  and  such  things  as  they  like,  which  they  close,  leav- 
ing a  hole  only  large  enough  to  admit  a  monkey's  open  hand. 
He  seizes  some  of  the  contents  and  tries  to  draw  his  hand  out. 


ALGIERS  AND  THE  ATLAS  MOUNTAINS.  135 

It  never  occurs  to  him  to  open  his  fist,  and  there  he  stays  un- 
able to  escape  with  the  heavy  jar. 

A  walk  of  several  miles,  inspecting  the  railroad  then  build- 
ing— for  the  French,  not  content  with  the  construction  of  the 
highway  above  described,  were  achieving  a  feat  of  engineering 
still  more  remarkable — revealed  a  scene  as  impressive  as  the 
natural  phenomena.  Here  masses  of  mountains  were  being 
blasted,  excavations  made  at  isolated  points  preliminary  to 
further  operations,  and  tunnels  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  five 
hundred  feet  above  the  line  of  others  were  being  bored,  showing 
that  the  road  must  be  carried  between  the  two.  Far  above 
these  the  surveyors'  signals  and  flags  could  be  seen,  the  whole 
seeming  "confusion  worse  confounded  ; "  but  to  the  engineer's 
eye  it  was  harmonious. 

These  mountains,  and  indeed  all  the  less  settled  parts  of 
Algeria,  formerly  abounded  with  wild  animals.  Between  1873 
and  1884  one  hundred  and  eighty-two  lions  and  lionesses  and 
seventeen  whelps  were  killed;  one  thousand  and  ninety-five 
panthers,  and  one  hundred  and  nineteen  young  panthers;  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty-two  hyenas;  twenty-seven 
thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  jackals.  Bounties  were 
paid  upon  these — for  every  lion,  eight  dollars;  a  panther,  the 
same;  for  a  hyena,  three  dollars;  and  a  jackal,  a  half  dollar. 
The  number  of  wild  animals  has  greatly  diminished,  lions  being 
now  very  scarce. 

Here  I  saw  engineers  with  surveying  instruments;  the  con- 
tractor, with  his  gangs  of  men;  wood  workers;  blasters,  pre- 
paring explosives  and  fuses;  "  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers 
of  water,"  stonecutters,  and  common  laborers,  government 
officers,  and  soldiers,  huts  for  the  accommodation  of  the  work- 
men at  night,  restaurants,  and  feeding  troughs  for  men  and 
animals.  Here  were  the  Kabyles  at  work,  a  few  Moors,  with 
Negroes  from  the  Soudan,  Italians,  Germans,  Maltese,  some 
Spaniards,  many  Frenchmen;  but  no  Americans  or  English- 
men. A  constant  procession  was  passing  over  the  highway,  of 
six,  eight,  ten  mule  teams  of  goods-wagons  that,  except  for 
some  slight  differences  in  construction,  might  have  led  us  to 
fancy  ourselves  west  of  the  Mississippi  in  the  days  before  the 
Pacific  Railroad;  hundreds  of  muleteers  with  loads  for  the  rail- 


1^6  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

road  station,  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  distant;  Kabyle  men  and 
women — it  was  a  scene  both  oriental  and  occidental — Asiatic, 
African,  and  European. 

Not  as  many  thousand  miles  to  the  south  and  east  in  the 
Dark  Continent  as  we  had  traveled  to  reach  the  splendid  views 
which  filled  our  eyes,  we  hear  of  dazzling  snow  peaks  suspended 
in  the  heavens;  black  gulfs  of  volcanic  craters  a  mile  wide; 
countless  cascades  of  mountain  torrents;  violet-gray  sierras; 
"  the  shimmering  azure  of  the  hill-encircled  lakes; "  salt  plains 
whiter  than  snow  and  sparkling  with  myriad  crystals;  "  marshes 
which  are  the  habitat  of  pink  flamingoes,  white  egrets,  gray 
pelicans,  and  '  the  Hagedash  ibis,  which  is  a  walking  rainbow; ' 
the  luxuriant  greenness  of  the  tropical  forests,  _with  their  vel- 
vet-foliaged  albizzias,  their  stately  sterculias,  ...  a  kaleido- 
scopic mingling  of  the  sublime,  the  awful,  the  vast,  the  luxu- 
riant, and  the  tenderly  beautiful." 

While  nothing  equal  to  this  was  seen  by  us  in  northern  and 
western  Africa,  views  of  the  luxuriant,  the  tenderly  beautiful, 
and  glimpses  of  the  grand  were  afforded. 


MARSEILLES  AND  THE  FRENCH  RIVIERA.  137 


CHAPTER   XVII. 
Marseilles  and  the  French  Riviera. 

Harbor — Cathedral — Church  of  Notre  Dame  de  la  Garde — Cannes — Nice — 
Monaco  and  Monte  Carlo — Tragic  Incidents — Mentone — Mr.  Spurgeon. 

THE  city  of  Algiers  is  five  hundred  miles  nearly  due  south 
from  Marseilles,  which  is  the  most  important  seaport  of  France, 
a  large  part  of  its  business  being  done  with  the  French  pos- 
sessions in  Africa.  We  made  the  passage  in  the  Ville  de 
Naples,  in  a  violent  storm  which  reduced  the  cabin  to  a  hospital 
and  the  dining  saloon  to  a  solitude;  yet  Marseilles  was  reached 
in  thirty-two  hours. 

In  approaching,  by  sea,  a  large  city  in  a  moonless,  misty 
night,  there  is  something  weird.  We  glided  apparently  among 
gigantic  specters  of  ships,  hearing  now  and  then  a  spiash  or  a 
voice,  and  the  boats  that  came  out  to  us  from  the  shore  ap- 
peared more  like  huge  fish  than  machines  of  human  con- 
trivance. 

The  conspicuous  feature  of  Marseilles  is  the  harbor,  which 
has  been  enlarged  to  four  times  its  former  size  within  the  last 
forty  years,  and  is  yet  too  small.  Next  in  interest  are  the 
streets,  many  of  which  are  fine  and  wide.  The  quarter 
scourged  by  the  cholera  a  few  years  ago  showed  no  traces  of 
what  makes  even  the  name  a  terror.  Density  of  population, 
lowness  of  situation,  and  heat  of  climate  account  for  the  rav- 
ages of  the  pestilence.  A  reminder  of  one  of  the  most  terrible 
plagues  of  all  history  is  seen  in  the  Cours  Belzance,  in  which 
stands  a  statue  of  the  bishop  after  whom  the  place  is  named, 
who  faithfully  discharged  his  duty,  visiting  the  sick  and 
burying  the  dead  during  the  pestilence  in  1720,  which  carried 
off  forty  thousand  persons. 

Marseilles  is  proud  of  its  new  cathedral,  which,  however,  is 
not  equal  to  some  of  the  ancient  ecclesiastical  structures  of 
Europe.  On  Sunday  the  streets  were  filled,  and  all  kinds  of 
outdoor  amusements,  and  business  of  every  sort  that  appeals 


138  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

to  the  people  on  a  holiday,  were  openly  and  generally  pros- 
ecuted. Processions  with  bands  of  music  paraded,  and  the 
whole  city  appeared  to  be  abroad. 

The  Church  of  Notre  Dame  de  la  Garde,  on  a  lofty  emi- 
nence near  the  sea,  transcends  the  cathedral  in  interest.  The 
tower  is  very  high,  and  its  summit  commands  a  spectacle 
which  remains  one  of  the  landmarks  in  memory.  Almost 
perpendicularly  beneath  is  the  old  harbor;  beyond  is  the  city 
filling  the  valley;  above  rise  the  hills,  their  dark  sides  dotted 
with  the  white  villas  of  merchants  and  other  residents  of  Mar- 
seilles. Following  the  horizon,  the  Mediterranean  is  seen  in 
the  distance,  while  nearer  is  a  group  of  fortified  islands,  upon 
one  of  which  is  the  Chateau  d'  If.  This  recalls  the  startling 
scene  in  the  stormy  period  of  the  first  French  Revolution, 
when  Mirabeau  was  incarcerated  in  that  inaccessible  fortress. 
But  a  much  stronger  impression  was  made  upon  my  mind 
by  the  reference  to  it  in  the  Count  of  Monte  Cristo,  a  book 
which  kept  me  awake  all  night  when  a  child,  and  was  almost 
equally  fascinating  at  a  later  period  when  common  sense 
might  have  been  expected  to  revolt  from  the  improbable. 
Happening  to  hear  a  band  play  the  Marseillaise,  which  so  re- 
cently we  had  heard  sung  by  the  fifty  thousand  Frenchmen 
who  celebrated  the  anniversary  of  the  execution  of  Baudin, 
1  was  reminded  that  it  was  for  the  galley  slaves  who  were  sent 
to  Paris  in  1792  that  that  stirring  piece  was  composed. 

On  leaving  Marseilles  our  course  was  southward,  and  the 
first  point  at  which  we  left  the  train  was  Nice,  distant  seven 
hours  by  rail.  Toulon,  which  suffered  from  the  cholera 
scourge  even  more  severely  than  Marseilles,  is  a  war  rendez- 
vous of  France  for  the  Mediterranean ;  it  has  two  harbors,  pro- 
tected by  eleven  forts,  which,  being  upon  adjacent  heights, 
produce  a  fine  effect. 

St.  Raphael  is  romantically  situated,  and  its  name  is  familiar 
to  readers  of  French  history,  for  it  was  from  that  port  Napo- 
leon embarked,  April  28,  1814,  for  Elba,  after  his  compulsory 
abdication. 

Cannes  has  a  most  picturesque  situation.  This  is  not  a 
place  for  a  day,  but  "for  the  season."  It  owes  its  popularity 
greatly  to  Lord  Brougham.  He  visited  it  for  several  years, 


MARSEILLES  AND  THE  FRENCH  RIVIERA.  139 

sounded  its  praises,  and  died  there.  As  we  passed  I 
strained  my  eyes  to  get  a  glimpse  of  Fort  Monterey.  This 
has  been  famous  for  two  hundred  years.  "The  Man  with 
the  Iron  Mask  "  was  confined  therein  from  1686  to  1698,  and 
it  was  to  Cannes  that  Marshal  Bazaine  was  sent  after  he 
surrendered  Metz,  and  remained  until  he  escaped  August 
9,  1874. 

Nice  is  one  of  the  comparatively  few  celebrated  places  where 
the  enthusiastic  praises  of  its  habitues  are  sustained  by  the 
facts.  We  stayed  long  enough  to  admire  its  scenic  charms, 
to  breathe  its  pure  air,  and  see  something  of  its  social  life. 
It  is  a  town  of  hotels  and  pensions,  of  immense  gardens  and 
suburban  villas.  The  first  thing  that  caught  my  eye  was  an 
avenue  of  eucalypti,  with  which  we  had  become  familiar  in 
Spain  and  Algiers.  The  public  garden,  and  the  Promenade 
des  Anglais,  with  hotels  and  villas  crowded  with  visitors, 
enlivened  with  military  music  and  frequent  parades,  are  not 
surpassed.  But  the  greatest  charm  is  Castle  Hill.  Its  sides 
are  ornamented  with  palms,  oranges,  cypresses,  aloes,  and 
many  other  varieties  of  trees,  through  which  a  fine  carriage 
road  winds,  crossed  at  intervals  by  a  footpath,  which  admits 
of  ascending  to  the  summit  in  twenty  minutes.  An  artifi- 
cial waterfall  is  at  the  top.  A  series  of  paintings  by  the 
finest  artists,  exhibited  in  the  form  of  a  panorama,  could 
hardly  portray  the  beauty  of  the  outlook  ;  what,  then,  can 
be  expected  of  a  single  paragraph?  The  most  distant  view 
is  the  Alps ;  turning  sharply  around  to  the  south  is  the 
Mediterranean;  to  the  west  are  the  long  lines  of  the  coast, 
with  various  promontories,  and  the  mouth  of  the  little  river 
Varm,  which  was  the  boundary  between  France  and  Sardinia 
down  to  1860.  Nearer,  Nice  and  the  beautiful  towns  and 
villages,  and  wooded  heights  which  surround  them,  appear; 
but  on  the  south  the  hill  on  which  we  stand  descends  ab- 
ruptly toward  the  sea.  It  has  a  peculiar  name,  which  serves 
as  a  warning,  Rauba  Capen  (the  hat  robber),  since  gusts 
arise  there  on  short  notice.  Nice  has  for  Frenchmen  of  a 
radical  type  an  attraction  in  the  grave  of  Gambetta.  The 
ruins  of  the  castle  which  gives  the  hill  its  name  are  of  interest 
to  visitors. 


i4o  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  season  was  fairly  opened  when  we  were  there.  The 
brilliant  equipages  of  French  and  English  annual  visitors,  the 
multitude  of  transient  guests,  and  the  lively  motions  and 
active,  eager  look  of  the  shopkeepers  and  other  caterers  to 
the  foreign  influx,  with  the  balmy  atmosphere,  which  gave  a 
breath  of  summer  or  late  spring  to  those  who  had  fled  from 
vigorous  northern  winters,  imparted  that  delightful  stimulus 
which  distinguishes  a  living  from  a  dead  place. 

The  little  principality  of  Monaco,  beautiful,  fashionable, 
disreputable,  the  smallest,  and  by  some  claimed  to  be  the 
oldest  monarchy  in  Europe,  is  scarcely  ten  miles  from  Nice. 
Its  entire  territory  includes  but  three  or  four  square  miles,  and 
its  permanent  population  is  not  so  great  as  that  of  a  large  vil- 
lage. The  government  belongs  to  the  princes  of  the  house  of 
Grimaldi,  though  it  is  practically  in  the  hands  of  France, 
which  purchased  it  from  Sardinia. 

Monte  Carlo  is  much  better  known  than  Monaco.  No 
region  is  more  picturesque  than  the  entire  territory.  Sea, 
land,  and  sky  are  at  their  best,  and  modern  lavish  expendi- 
tures by  man,  blending  with  remains  of  the  antique,  improve 
the  picture.  In  the  seasons  all  classes  of  society  except  the 
very  poor  visit  Monte  Carlo,  and  it  has  two  seasons — winter 
for  climate  and  summer  for  sea  bathing.  In  ancient  times 
Monaco  was  occupied  by  Saracen  freebooters,  who  by  piracy 
accumulated  great  wealth.  At  present  its  revenues  are  derived 
from  another  form  of  villainy,  in  which  seductive  persuasions 
take  the  place  of  violence.  But  the  end  sought  is  the  same. 
Gambling  at  Monte  Carlo  supports  the  government.  The 
privilege  of  keeping  a  public  gambling  house  is  rented  to  a 
company,  which  pays  sixty  thousand  pounds  per  annum  for 
the  privilege. 

The  Casino  is  a  splendid  edifice,  surrounded  by  grounds 
equal  to  those  of  any  palace.  Everything  in  and  about  the 
building  is  luxurious.  The  finest  painters  have  lent  their  skill 
to  the  decoration  of  the  concert  hall.  Statues  of  Dancing  and 
Music,  landscapes,  figures  of  Homer  and  Poetry,  are  there, 
some  of  them  superior  to  most  modern  works  of  art  in  the 
celebrated  galleries.  Concerts  are  given  twice  daily  from  the 
beginning  of  the  winter  season.  Sixty  thousand  dollars  are 


MARSEILLES  AND  THE  FRENCH  RTVIERA.  141 

annually  paid  for  the  band,  the  leader  of  which  receives  ten 
thousand.  Admission  to  the  building  and  to  the  concerts  is 
free  to  all  who  apply  for  a  card  of  admission.  This  lavish 
outlay  is  sustained  by  the  profits  on  gambling.  To  represent 
truly  the  spirit  of  the  place  there  should  be  added  a  statue  of 
Satan  as  an  Angel  of  Light.  The  largest  room  in  the  build- 
ing is  the  gambling  hall.  Here  is  no  secrecy,  for  the  business 
is  legal.  It  is  the  boast  of  the  institution  that  everything  is 
done  with  a  strict  regard  to  honesty.  The  games  played  do 
not  admit  of  skill;  it  is  a  question  of  chance. 

Young  girls,  strangely  animated,  may  be  seen  seated  by 
the  side  of  aged  women  whose  faces  wear  the  pallor  of  death, 
and  whose  eyes,  intent  upon  the  money  they  put  down  and 
the  turn  of  the  wheel,  wear  a  spectral  look.  "Professionals" 
conceal  their  emotions  whether  they  lose  or  gain;  not  so 
amateurs  who  have  lost  more  than  they  can  afford.  The 
vast  profits  of  the  proprietors  are  made  by  a  gain,  on  an  aver- 
age, of  three  per  cent  per  day  on  the  money  staked.  As  that 
has  been  known  to  pass  a  million  of  dollars,  the  total  is 
enormous. 

While  %  we  were  there  a  young  couple  came  to  Monte  Carlo 
on  their  wedding  tour.  They  were  fascinated,  began  to  play, 
lost  all  they  had,  and  poisoned  themselves  at  the  hotel. 

A  strange  enchantment  often  makes  havoc  of  principle,  rep- 
utation, and  resolution.  A  Scotch  Presbyterian  minister, 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  entered.  After  looking  a  while  he 
began  to  debate  putting  down  money.  His  wife  tried  to  dis- 
suade him.  Finally  he  said  he  would  put  down  a  piece,  but 
would  not  take  away  the  result.  He  did  and  won,  then  left 
the  money  on  the  number  and  won  again,  putting  in  his  pos- 
session by  the  law  of  increase,  shown  by  the  numbers,  proba- 
bly more  than  he  had  possessed  at  one  time  in  his  life.  He 
took  it  and  went  away. 

An  authentic  story  was  told  us  of  an  American  minister  who 
was  intrusted  with  the  care  of  a  young  man  of  wealth.  When 
they  reached  Monte  Carlo  the  minister  advised  the  young  man 
not  to  visit  the  gambling  house,  and,  to  induce  him  not  to  do 
so,  said  that  he  would  not  go  if  the  young  man  would  not.  To 
this  they  agreed.  Two  hours  afterward  the  young  man's  reso- 


,42  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

,ution  failed  him,  and  entering,  the  first  person  he  met  was 
the  minister!  To  this  day  he  justly  denounces  him  as  a  hypo- 
crite. A  Roman  Catholic  bishop,  ordered  to  that  region  by 
his  physician  on  account  of  obstinate  ill  health,  said  to  me  in 
Monte  Carlo  that  the  description  of  it,  as  "Hell  in  the  midst 
of  Paradise,"  was  not  overdrawn.  Special  trains  suiting  the 
hours  are  run  from  neighboring  resorts.  Though  thousands 
go  to  Monte  Carlo,  not  primarily  for  gambling,  but  for  health, 
no  place  in  the  world  is  so  dangerous  to  the  morals  of  young 
persons,  none  better  adapted  to  undermine  conscience.  Covet- 
ousness,  fashion,  the  peculiar  fascination  of  chance,  and  per- 
sonal vanity,  which  often  desires  to  show  that  it  dare  do  these 
things,  unite  in  one  often  overpowering  temptation. 

A  few  miles  distant  is  Mentone.  It  formerly  belonged  to 
Monaco,  then  to  Sardinia,  by  which  it  was  annexed  to  France 
in  1860.  In  contrast  with  Monte  Carlo  it  is  another  world, 
the  most  quiet  and  restful  of  retreats.  We  took  a  long  moon- 
light walk  along  the  seacoast,  passing  villas  and  precipices, 
until  the  line  of  lights  ceased,  and  then  entered  a  dark  recess, 
in  traversing  which  we  crossed  the  Italian  frontier.  The  moon- 
light caused  the  surface  of  the  Mediterranean  to  resemble  a 
polished  mirror,  and  the  effect  of  the  same  rays  upon  the  hill- 
sides was  weird.  This  was  Mr.  Spurgeon's  favorite  resort. 
Driven  from  the  fogs  and  chills  of  London  by  gout,  he  spent 
three  or  four  months  in  Mentone  every  winter.  He  was  there 
at  the  time  of  our  visit,  but  had  met  with  a  severe  accident, 
which  confined  him  to  his  room  for  some  weeks.  His  popu- 
larity was  great,  nor  did  he  perform  an  act  or  speak  a  word 
in  his  many  visits  inconsistent  with  the  high  standard  of  moral- 
ity which  he  preached,  or  his  reputation  for  unaffected  cheer- 
fulness in  his  intercourse  with  all  classes. 


GENOA  AND  MILAN.  143 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 
Genoa  and  Milan. 

Statue  of  Columbus — Description  of  City — Cathedral  of  San  Lorenzo — History 
— The  Conservatorii — Via  di  Circonvallazione — Campo  Santo — Situation 
of  Milan — Cathedral — The  Roof — View  from  the  Tower — Church  of  San 
Ambrogio — Gallery  of  Victor  Emmanuel — Cemetery — Parade  Ground — 
Triumphal  Arch. 

THE  Italian  Riviera  is  divided  into  two  parts,  the  more 
beautiful  being  that  through  which  we  rode.  Almost  the 
first  striking  object,  after  arriving  at  the  station  in  Genoa,  is 
the  statue  of  Christopher  Columbus  erected  in  1862.  Among 
the  last  things  we  saw  in  Spain  were  his  manuscripts  and 
library  in  Seville,  and  here,  upon  a  pedestal  surrounded  by 
the  prows  of  ships,  with  the  figure  of  America  kneeling  at  the 
base,  we  saw  his  statue.  The  allegorical  figures  represented 
in  a  sitting  posture  are  not  unworthy  their  station.  They 
portray  Religion,  Geography,  Strength,  and  Wisdom,  and  be- 
tween them  are  reliefs  of  scenes  from  his  history. 

Concerning  the  native  place  of  Columbus  the  more  ancient 
tradition  is  that  he  was  born  just  outside  of  Saint  Andrea;  but 
a  rival  claimant  is  a  house  in  Cogoleto,  fifteen  and  a  half  miles 
from  Genoa.  But  whatever  the  exact  location,  it  was  undoubt- 
edly in  or  near  Genoa;  and  there  is  no  dispute  about  the  fact 
that,  when  he  applied  to  that  city  for  assistance  in  his  projects 
of  discovery,  he  was  considered  a  visionary  man,  and  his  appli- 
cation rejected. 

From  the  water's  edge  the  hills  rise  five  hundred  feet  and 
form  a  wide  semicircle,  and  when  the  city  limits  have  been 
passed  they  continued  to  rise  to  sixteen  hundred  feet.  Stand- 
ing at  the  water's  brink  and  looking  at  them,  they  seemed  a 
vast  amphitheater,  and  the  ten  forts  upon  the  loftiest  height 
enhance  the  effect.  The  magnificence  of  the  palaces,  as  semi- 
private  structures,  is  not  equaled  in  any  other  city  in  Italy,  or 
in  the  world.  The  best  date  from  the  sixteenth  century,  and 


i44  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

the  contents,  including  many  of  the  finest  works  of  art,  are 
in  harmony  with  their  grandeur.  Weeks  would  have  been 
required  for  a  thorough  visitation  of  the  palaces.  Selecting 
the  Palazzo  Rosso,  we  gave  as  much  time  to  it  as  was  at  our 
disposal,  with  the  result  of  being  oppressed  with  the  magnifi- 
cence, the  size  and  number  of  the  rooms,  and  the  displav  as- 
pect of  the  whole. 

The  Cathedral  of  San  Lorenzo  was  a  decided  contrast  to  any- 
thing which  we  had  seen  in  France,  Spain,  or  other  parts  of 
Europe.  In  richness  of  decoration  it  approaches  gaudiness. 
Among  other  curious  things  is  a  Gothic  inscription  declaring 
that  Janus,  great  grandson  of  Noah,  founded  Genoa,  and  that 
another  Janus  from  Troy  settled  there.  We  went  into  the 
chapel  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  the  richest  part  of  the  church. 
Until  recently  women  were  permitted  to  go  in  only  once  a 
year,  because  John's  death  was  brought  about  by  a  woman. 
They  claim  to  show  the  body  (without  the  head)  of  John  the 
Baptist.  I  was  interested  in  this,  as  there  are  eighteen  heads 
of  John  exhibited  in  different  parts  of  the  world.  Also, 
they  have  the  Sacro  Catino.  This  was  supposed  to  be 
an  emerald,  but  it  was  taken  to  Paris,  and  examination,  to- 
gether with  the  fact  that  it  was  broken,  showed  that  it  was 
merely  glass.  For  a  long  time  it  was  venerated  by  the  people 
of  Genoa,  but  their  faith  has  been  severely  shaken.  At  differ- 
ent times  it  has  been  asserted  to  be  a  gift  of  the  Queen  of 
Sheba  to  Solomon;  at  others,  "the  dish  which  held  the  pas- 
chal lamb  at  the  Passover;  while  others  have  maintained  that 
it  is  the  vessel  in  which  Joseph  of  Arimathea  received  the 
blood  from  his  Redeemer's  side."  The  date  of  the  foundation 
of  Genoa  is  obscured  in  the  mists  of  its  antiquity.  But  a 
bronze  tablet  found  by  a  peasant  in  1505,  and  brought  into  the 
city  to  be  sold  for  old  metal,  confirms  its  ancientness  and  im- 
portance. It  contains  an  award  made  A.  U.  C.  633  by  Quin- 
tus  Marcus  Minutius  and  Q.  F.  Rufus,  Roman  authorities,  in 
settling  a  dispute  between  the  people  of  Genoa  and  the  Viturii 
who  had  differed  about  their  boundaries  and  had  appealed  to 
the  Roman  Senate  from  local  decisions.  The  landmarks  are 
set  out  definitely,  and  all  restrictions  and  rights  plainly  specified. 

After  various  vicissitudes  the  city  has  regained  its  ancient 


GENOA  AND  MILAN. 


J45 


maritime  ascendency,  and  is  now  the  chief  seaport  of  Italy. 
The  people  are  industrious,  energetic,  domestic,  and  their 
morals  good — for  an  Italian  seaport.  A  peculiar  class  of  insti- 
tutions, called  conservatorii  (of  which  there  are  fifteen  or 
twenty),  is  worthy  of  special  description.  They  are  designed 
for  women;  some  are  for  orphans;  others  for  the  children  of 
parents  unable  to  support  them.  Some  are  schools;  others 
Magdalene  asylums,  to  reform  abandoned  women;  and  others 
houses  of  refuge,  where  unmarried  women  who  have  no  homes 
can  reside  on  the  payment  of  a  small  sum,  or,  if  destitute, 
gratuitously. 

The  finest  of  all  the  drives  of  Genoa  is  the  Via  di  Circonval- 
lazione  a  Monte,  a  route  laid  out  a  few  years  ago  on  the  hill.  It 
begins  at  a  point  three  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  above 
the  sea  level,  and  after  traversing  the  entire  city  brings  the 
traveler  back  to  the  Capucine  church,  the  most  sumptuous  in 
the  place. 

The  Genoese  are  proud  of  the  Campo  Santo  on  the  side  of 
the  mount,  twenty  minutes'  drive  beyond  the  city  walls.  Here 
the  poor  are  buried  in  the  ground,  but  the  bodies  of  the 
wealthy  are  placed  in  receptacles  arranged  in  galleries.  I  have 
never  seen  so  gorgeous  a  burial  place.  The  monuments  are 
elaborate,  including  not  only  the  dead,  but  the  living  members 
of  the  family."  Here  is  the  statue  of  the  husband,  in  an  atti- 
tude of  profound  grief,  weeping  over  the  body  of  his  wife, 
both  represented  life-size.  Then  the  widow  and  her  surviving 
children,  all  life-size,  gazing  horror-struck  upon  the  dead 
body  of  the  father  and  husband.  There  are  exquisite  monu- 
ments of  little  children  and  of  young  persons,  besides  the 
usual  number  of  figurative  representations  of  Poetry,  Grief,  and 
Resignation.  Some  of  these  tombs,  with  their  monuments,  are 
represented  to  have  cost  a  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which 
would  mean  a  much  larger  sum  in  a  country  where  marble  is 
not  indigenous  and  artists  not  numerous. 

The  simplicity  of  genuine  grief  is  entirely  obscured.  A  pag- 
eant as  ostentatious  as  any  produced  on  festal  days  invades  the 
silence  and  solemnity  of  the  city  of  the  dead  and  transforms  it 
into  a  masquerade. 

Ostentation   has   ruled   in    Italy    from   ancient   time,   and, 


I46  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

turning  from  these  costly  embodiments  of  it  to  the  humbler 
burial  place  of  the  poor,  the  same  spirit  which  produced  such 
attempts  at  rivalry  assumes  still  more  grotesque  forms.  Here 
were  wooden  effigies,  numerous  trinkets,  and  photographs  of 
the  dead some  taken  at  an  early  period  in  the  life  of  the  de- 
ceased, others  after  his  death.  The  contrasts  were  as  wide 
as  can  be  seen  in  the  dress,  equipage,  and  residences  of  the 
wealthy  and  of  the  poor.  Among  the  poor,  as  among  the  rich, 
the  violations  of  good  taste  appear  to  result  from  an  effort  to 
contrive  something  new. 

The  tomb  which  would  most  attract  the  attention  of  for- 
eigners and  probably  of  patriotic  Italians,  is  that  of  Mazzini, 
the  chief  leader  of  the  revolutionary  party,  who  was  born  in 
Genoa  in  1808.  It  is  in  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  cemetery. 
The  Genoese  also  feel  an  interest  in  Garibaldi,  who,  though 
born  in  Nice,  was  the  son  of  a  native  of  Genoa. 

Ancient  and  modern  historians  unite  in  saying  that  the  whole 
energy  of  the  Genoese  has  been  concentrated  on  making 
money.  Its  influence,  though  indirect,  may  not,  however,  have 
been  less  than  that  of  other  cities  upon  the  development  of 
art  and  scholarship;  for  no  country  whose  cities  are  devoted 
exclusively  to  those  things  could  long  afford  the  means  to  pro- 
mote them.  Agriculture  and  commerce  are  at  the  foundation 
of  wealth,  scholarship,  and  art. 

Genoa  to-day  is  what  it  has  always  been — a  superbly  beau- 
tiful city,  not  the  less  so  because  its  energies  have  been  chiefly 
devoted  to  maritime  commerce. 

The  beautiful  but  treacherous  Mediterranean  was  soon  left 
behind  when  we  departed  from  Genoa,  but  for  many  miles 
backward  glances  were  rewarded  by  vistas  of  landscape, 
through  which  the  sea  sparkled  for  an  instant  and  was  then 
obscured  by  cliffs  or  hills.  As  we  drew  near  the  plain  of  Lom- 
bardy,  of  which  the  district  of  Milan  is  the  central  portion, 
the  cold  winds  swept  down  from  the  Alps,  and  snow,  in  a  few 
moments  turning  into  rain,  beat  upon  the  cars.  In  situation 
Milan  is  fortunate,  its  wants  being  supplied  by  the  pastures 
upon  the  mountains,  the  vines,  fruit  trees,  the  silk  culture  of 
the  lower  declivities,  and  the  corn,  wheat,  and  grass-yielding 
meadows  of  the  plains.  The  meadows  produce  almost  as 


»/.*!        *•        -        ^A     * 


GENOA  AND  MILAN.  149 

many  crops  as  there  are  months  in  the  year,  and  form  the 
most  thoroughly  irrigated  district  of  Europe,  where  the  an- 
cient paths  are  still  the  right  of  the  common  people.  As  in 
Spain,  the  peasant  can  drive  his  sheep  southward,  the  law 
allowing  him  two  hundred  feet  by  the  side  of  the  road,  so  here 
the  right  to  conduct  water  across  the  property  of  others  is 
recognized. 

To  find  a  city  whose  population  is  the  same  now  that  it  was 
eight  centuries  ago  is  unusual.  Then  it  is  said  to  have  con- 
tained three  hundred  thousand  inhabitants;  eight  years  ago, 
exclusive  of  the  suburbs,  it  was  estimated  to  comprise  two 
hundred  and  ninety-five  thousand  five  hundred  and  forty- 
three.  Milan  differs  from  most  other  Italian  cities  in  the  ab- 
sence of  ruins,  having  been  totally  destroyed  in  1162;  five 
years  afterward  it  was  rebuilt. 

Though  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fifteenth  and  the  beginning 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  when  Leonardo  da  Vinci  lived  there, 
surrounded  by  eminent  pupils,  it  vied  with  the  other  parts  of 
Italy  in  art,  that  which  attracts  most  tourists  now  is  the  cathe- 
dral. The  site  relatively  to  the  immediate  surroundings  is  not 
well  chosen,  and  the  facade  so  unworthy  the  general  plan  that 
it  is  to  be  removed.  We  walked  around  the  building  on  the  out- 
side, nearly  a  third  of  a  mile,  and  were  impressed  with  its  vast- 
ness,  dignity,  and  beauty.  There  are  only  two  larger  churches 
in  Europe — St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  and  the  cathedral  at  Seville. 
Begun  in  1386,  it  is  not  yet  completed,  and  it  is  said  that 
some  of  the  incongruities  which  have  been  criticised  resulted 
from  the  dissensions  and  jealousies  of  the  Italian  and  Northern 
architects.  After  the  works  had  been  at  a  standstill  for  nearly 
a  hundred  years,  Napoleon  ordered  them  resumed  when  he 
made  Milan  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  and  con- 
structed the  tower  over  the  dome. 

The  impression  was  deepened  as  we  stood  in  the  "dim 
religious  light "  within  the  nave,  which  is  one  hundred  and 
fifty-five  feet  high,  and  placed  ourselves  in  different  positions 
among  the  fifty-two  pillars  twelve  feet  in  diameter,  which,  in- 
stead of  having  capitals,  are  adorned  with  canopied  niches 
containing  statues;  or  traversed  the  great  expanse  of  pave- 
ment of  mosaics  of  variegated  marbles,  and  heard  the  great 
9 


,5o  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

organ  reverberating  through  the  vault  above,  it  appeared  as 
though  the  wealth,  art,  music,  and  formal  religion  of  ages 
were  embodied  in  one  colossal  personality. 

More  detailed  examination  of  the  treasures  of  art  did  not 
diminish  the  effect.  Here  are  the  tombs  of  archbishops,  bish- 
ops, and  canons  interspersed  with  Gothic  monuments  and 
bronze  statues.  Upon  the  walls  are  fine  paintings  of  Scripture 
scenes.  The  stained  glass  of  the  three  choir  windows  con- 
tain three  hundred  and  fifty  vivid  representations  of  events 
from  the  Scriptures,  many  being  copies  of  celebrated  ancient 
paintings.  An  altar  piece  representing  Ambrose  releasing 
the  Emperor  Theodosius  from  ecclesiastical  penalties  reminded 
us  of  a  significant  event  in  early  Christian  history.  A  most 
abhorrent  object  is  a  statue  of  St.  Bartholomew,  represented 
as  flayed,  carrying  his  skin  upon  his  shoulder.  The  skin  looks 
more  like  hippopotamus  hide  than  the  cuticle  of  a  human 
being.  The  artist  considered  it  superior  to  anything  ac- 
complished by  Praxiteles,  and  says  so  in  an  inscription  upon 
the  statue. 

Before  one  crucifix  I  paused  in  "reverent  contemplation." 
It  was  that  which  San  Carlo  Borromeo  bore  during  the  plague 
in  1756,  when  he  went  about,  barefooted,  visiting  the  sick 
and  comforting  the  dying.  It  was  not  the  crucifix  that  I 
revered,  but  the  devotion  and  philanthropy  of  him  who  bore 
it,  and  of  the  multitudes  of  his  own  and  other  faiths  who,  in 
such  times  of  trial,  elevate  the  human  toward  the  Divine.  The 
tomb  of  this  saint  lies  below  the  dome  in  a  subterranean 
chapel.  We  paid  five  francs  to  see  his  relics.  The  crown, 
jewels,  and  regalia  which  he  wore  were  bright  by  contrast 
with  his  fleshless  bones. 

The  view  of,  and  from,  the  roof  and  tower  transcended  all 
that  we  had  thus  far  seen  in  splendor  of  effect;  for  another 
such  roof  the  wide  world  cannot  exhibit.  Among  its  adorn- 
ments are  ninety-eight  Gothic  turrets,  any  one  of  which  would 
make  a  church  in  an  American  city  a  marked  object.  Among 
these  are  distributed  more  than  two  thousand  marble  statues, 
many  of  eminent  men,  and  as  works  of  art  worthy  of 
any  gallery.  Here  is  the  figure  of  Napoleon,  in  heroic  and 
ancient  costume.  On  a  perfectly  safe  path  we  walked  the 


Interior  of   Cathedral. 


GENOA  AND  MILAN. 


153 


entire  length  of  the  roof,  and  contemplated  such  of  the 
statues  as  interested  us.  We  had  already  ascended  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-four  steps  within  the  edifice,  and  then  began 
the  three  hundred  steps  outside. 

When  the  summit  was  reached  the  prospect  was  dazzling. 
We  looked  upon  the  roof,  upon  the  buildings  surrounding  the 
cathedral,  dwarfed  by  its  massiveness  into  huts;  upon  the 
pygmies  walking  in  the  squares.  The  roar  of  the  city  was 
like  that  upon  the  ocean  shore.  A  little  beyond  lay  the  noble 
city  of  Milan,  upon  a  plateau  nearly  four  hundred  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  gradually  sloping  for  miles.  The 
entire  plain,  being  covered  with  snow,  sparkled  and  flashed 
in  the  sunlight  with  blinding  effect.  But  it  was  on  looking 
toward  the  Alps,  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  miles  distant, 
that  we  could  scarcely  believe  our  eyes.  A  little  south  of 
west,  Mont  Cenis,  through  which  the  great  tunnel  was  cut,  ap- 
pears; then  Mont  Blanc, 

"...  the  monarch  of  mountains; 
They  crowned  him  long  ago, 
On  a  throne  of  rocks,  in  a  robe  of  clouds, 
With  a  diadem  of  snow," 

stood  up  as  though  but  a  few  hours'  walk  from  us.  I  had 
looked  down,  years  before,  from  very  near  its  summit  upon 
this  plain;  now  I  looked  up  at  it.  Next  was  the  Great  St. 
Bernard,  on  which  in  October,  1863,  I  slept  in  the  midst  of  a 
howling  snowstorm;  but  the  next  morning,  the  storm  having 
ceased,  beheld  the  vast  expanse  of  northern  Italy. 

This  was  not  all,  for  Monte  Rosa  and  the  Matterhorn,  with 
the  taunting  beauty  and  beckoning  hand  which  have  led  so 
many  to  death,  reared  themselves  against  the  early  morning 
sky,  and  when  our  eyes  could  no  longer  bear  the  brilliancy  of 
the  stupendous  masses  of  snow,  we  turned  to  the  far  east  and 
saw,  in  the  background  behind  the  city  of  Pavia,  through 
which  we  had  passed  a  few  days  before,  the  dark  Apennines. 
Much  nearer  were  the  mountains  about  Lake  Como,  and 
these,  on  account  of  their  proximity,  seemed  higher  than  the 
others. 


154  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

I  did  not  wonder  that  an  epidemic  of  suicides  from  that 
lofty  height  had  compelled  the  making  of  a  regulation  that  no 
visitor  could  be  allowed  to  ascend  alone.  The  watchman  in- 
formed us  that  forty  persons  had  killed  themselves  by  leaping 
into  the  square.  There  is  an  insanity  of  height,  and  many 
who  never  meant  to  kill  themselves  have  leaped  from  lofty 
summits.  Morbid  vanity  appeals  to  cranks,  imitation  multi- 
plies the  number,  and  many  who  are  neither  cranks,  insane, 
nor  morbidly  vain  are  conscious,  when  in  such  positions,  of  an 
almost  irresistible  impulse  to  leap. 

But  Milan  has  much  besides  the  Duomo  to  please  and  in- 
struct the  visitor.  The  church  of  San  Ambrogio  was  founded 
in  the  fourth  century  by  Ambrose  on  the  ruins  of  an  old 
heathen  temple  dedicated  to  Bacchus. 

In  this  building  the  Lombard  kings  and  German  emperors 
were  crowned  with  the  iron  crown,  and  the  old  pillar  on  which 
they  took  the  oath  still  stands.  Here  is  buried  Pepin,  the 
son  of  Charlemagne,  and,  it  is  claimed,  Ambrose  himself. 
Besides  there  are  many  fine  churches,  and  palaces  without 
number  filled  with  paintings  and  statues. 

The  gallery  of  Victor  Emmanuel,  an  octagon,  with  a  cupola 
of  great  height,  is  adorned  with  frescoes  representing  Europe, 
Asia,  Africa,  and  America.  It  also  contains  twenty-four 
statues  of  famous  Italians,  among  them  names  with  which  the 
educated  world  is  familiar:  Cavour,  Marco  Polo,  Raphael, 
Galileo,  Dante,  Michael  Angelo,  Columbus,  Savonarola.  The 
monument  of  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  and  the  statue  of  Cavour 
in  another  part  of  the  city,  and  especially  a  bronze  statue  of 
Napoleon  the  First,  as  Roman  Emperor,  by  Canova,  are  works 
of  the  highest  order.  Cavour's  statue,  in  the  plaza  named 
after  him,  is  made  impressive  by  an  elevated  pedestal  of  the 
finest  granite. 

The  Milanese  think  their  cemetery  superior  to  that  of  Genoa. 
I  cannot  tell  how  it  would  have  pleased  me  had  I  not  been 
disgusted  with  the  display  style  of  grief  in  the  former  city. 
Nor  was  our  opportunity  so  favorable,  as  the  snow  was  melt- 
ing, compelling  a  very  hurried  passage  over  some  of  its  more 
splendid  avenues.  Cremation  is  gaining  ground  there,  and 
the  Tempio  di  Cremazione  has  been  admitted  to  the  cemetery. 


GENOA  AND  MILAN.  157 

On  our  way  to  that  part  of  the  city  we  saw  the  great  parade 
ground,  nearly  half  a  mile  square,  and  the  arena,  built  under 
Napoleon  the  First,  large  enough  to  accommodate  thirty 
thousand  spectators.  Also,  the  Triumphal  Arch,  of  white 
marble,  begun  by  Napoleon  the  First  as  a  termination  of  the 
Simplon  route,  the  first  carriage  road  from  Switzerland  to 
Italy  over  the  Alps,  and  made  by  his  order. 

It  is  said  that  no  town  in  Italy,  since  the  union  of  the  entire 
country  in  one  kingdom,  has  undergone  such  improvement  as 
Milan.  A  new  Protestant  church,  erected  by  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Missionary  Society  of  the  United  States,  then  rap- 
idly approaching  completion,  was  shown  us  by  Signor  Ravi, 
the  acting  minister; — a  solid,  well-situated,  churchly  structure, 
seating  three  hundred,  with  rooms  for  meetings  and  residence 
for  janitor  and  pastor. 


rc8  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
Venice — The  Enchanted  City. 

History — Situation — Piazza  and  Church  of  San  Marco — Tomb  of  St.  Mark — 
Palace  of  the  Doges — Roman  Catholic  Mission  Church — Grand  Canal — 
Campanile — View  from  the  Top  of  the  Tower. 

VENICE  had  already  begun  a  career  whose  glory  throws  a 
halo  over  it  to  this  day,  when  in  the  year  828  a  Venetian  fleet 
brought  the  body  of  St.  Mark  to  that  place,  and  the  republic 
adopted  him  as  its  peculiar  saint,  naming  its  highest  official 
"the  Procurator  of  St.  Mark."  It  was  in  the  zenith  of  its 
glory  when,  by  the  conquest  of  Constantinople,  it  divided  the 
Byzantine  empire,  captured  the  entire  coast  of  the  Adriatic, 
and  the  Levant  from  Durazzo  to  Trebizond,  and  nearly  all  the 
islands  of  the  Greek  Archipelago,  the  whole  of  Dalmatia,  much 
of  the  mainland  of  Greece,  and  held  the  entire  coast  from  the 
Po  to  the  island  of  Corfu,  besides  having  conquered,  one  after 
another,  in  a  hundred  and  fifty  years, T revise,  Vicenza,  Padua, 
Verona,  Udine,  Brescia,  Bergamo,  Crema,  and  Rovigo; 
when  it  monopolized  the  commerce  of  India,  whose  produc- 
tions were  brought  through  the  north  of  Persia,  the  Euphrates, 
and  the  Tigris  to  Bagdad,  thence  by  camels  across  the  desert 
to  Palmyra,  and  thence  by  sea.  The  annual  espousing  of  the 
city  as  "  Queen  of  the  Adriatic  "  was  then  more  than  an  ideal 
ceremony,  performed  by  the  Doge  on  Ascension  Day,  ac- 
companied by  all  the  nobility  and  foreign  representatives  in 
gondolas,  dropping  a  ring  into  the  sea  from  the  state  barge. 
In  1797  this  ostentatious  but  poetic  and  pathetic  usage  was 
omitted  for  the  first  time  in  nearly  a  thousand  years.  But  the 
commercial  supremacy  of  Venice  is  gone;  and,  though  its 
business  is  still  considerable,  it  is  "as  a  glorious  relic  of  past 
greatness  that  the  railway-shaken  tourist  turns  with  infinite  re- 
lief from  the  prosperous  cities  of  Europe  to  its  thousand  en- 
joyments." 

The  best  description  of  the  situation  of  Venice  is  St.  Peter's 


o 


VENICE — THE  ENCHANTED  CITY.  161 

reference  to  the  world  at  the  time  of  the  flood,  "the  earth 
standing  out  of  the  water,  and  in  the  water."     So 

"...  from  out  the  waves  her  structures  rise 
As  from  the  stroke  of  the  enchanter's  wand." 

We  arrived  at  night,  and  glided  to  the  hotel  in  a  black,  rak- 
ish-looking gondola,  silently  as  an  assassin  might  wish  to  pass 
away  from  the  scene  of  his  crime.  The  Hotel  Victoria  is 
cheerless  and  ill  kept,  equally  damaging  to  the  reputation  of 
those  who  keep  and  those  who  recommend  it ;  though  the 
temperature  was  very  low,  there  was  but  one  fire  accessible 
to  the  guests;  the  reading  room  was  unlighted,  the  table  poor, 
the  servants  stupid,  the  proprietor  surly,  the  guests,  of  whom 
there  were  but  five,  disgusted.  We  departed  as  soon  as  the 
sun  was  up  the  next  morning. 

Some  of  the  finest  cities  in  the  world  are  situated  upon 
islands,  but  this  rests  upon  one  hundred  and  seventeen,  of 
which  three  only  are  large.  One  hundred  and  fifty  canals  are 
thus  formed,  which  are  spanned  by  nearly  four  hundred 
bridges.  Not  a  horse,  or  a  vehicle  larger  than  a  handcart,  did 
we  see  in  exploring  the  whole  city.  The  hum  of  moving  feet 
and  wheels,  which  in  other  places  often  rises  to  a  roar,  is  here 
unheard. 

The  lagoons  are  protected  from  the  open  sea,  but  are  about 
equally  divided  into  two  classes,  the  names  of  which  are  sug- 
gestive: the  laguna  viva;  in  it  the  tide  rises  and  falls  every 
day;  and  the  laguna  morta,  which  is  not  affected  by  the  tide. 
Venice,  of  course,  is  in  the  former  class.  Stagnant  pools  are 
everywhere  laguna  morta. 

The  gondolas  are  quaint,  have  a  low  canopy  and  a  seat 
made  of  leather,  accommodating  three  or  four  persons,  and, 
according  to  an  old  law  are  painted  black.  Besides  these  is 
a  barca  which  accommodates  twice  as  many;  it  has  a  long, 
heavy,  iron  prow.  "There  are  omnibus  boats,  which  no  one 
would  be  likely  to  take  unless  oppressed  by  poverty.  The 
speed  of  all  is  less  than  that  of  an  ordinary  walk.  On  the 
Grand  Canal  small  steamboats  ply  during  the  day.  The  rates 
of  fare  are  not  high.  While  making  the  tour  of  the  Grand 
Canal  I  saw  why  Stockholm  is  called  the  Venice  of  the  North. 


1 02  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  situations  of  the  two  cities  are  similar,  though  the  waters 
of  Stockholm  are  clearer  and  more  sparkling. 

A  common  error  is  the  notion  that  it  is  possible  to  explore 
Venice  by  boats  only.  Most  of  the  houses  rise  from  the  canals, 
or  are  very  near  them,  but  almost  every  place  can  be  reached  on 
foot,  and  it  is  impossible  to  see  the  most  characteristic  parts, 
and  to  become  acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the  common 
people  in  any  other  way.  I  noticed  that  there  was  a  sunset 
aspect  to  everything  but  the  inhabitants,  who  were  vivacious 
and  active.  It  was  a  noble,  but  wrinkled,  rather  than  youthful, 
face  that  smiled.  We  found  much  complaint  of  a  temporary 
depression  of  business. 

The  chief  rendezvous  for  the  people  when  at  leisure  is  the 
Piazza  of  San  Marco.  I  have  nowhere  seen  a  more  majestic 
square;  for  on  three  sides  rise  great  structures  which  seem  like 
one.  Of  white  marble,  they  are  black  with  age  and  expo- 
sure. In  the  glorious  times  the  highest  officials,  next  below 
the  doge  in  rank,  dwelt  there;  now  they  are  used  for  various 
general  purposes,  and  the  ground  floors  are  occupied  by  cafes 
and  shops. 

Here  the  military  bands  play  on  Sundays,  Mondays,  Wed- 
nesdays, and  Fridays,  in  the  summer  evenings;  in  the  winter, 
from  two  to  four.  The  square,  when  we  were  there,  was 
crowded  as  though  a  score  of  churches  had  poured  their  con- 
gregations into  it,  and  the  beauty  and  wealth  of  Venice  min- 
gled with  the  proletariat.  One  of  the  curiosities  of  Venice  is 
a  flock  of  pigeons,  perfectly  tame,  which  are  fed  by  officials. 
These  are  the  descendants  of  the  carrier  pigeons  which  gave 
intelligence  to  Admiral  Dandolo  when  he  was  besieging  the 
island  of  Candia.  After  the  conquest  he  sent  the  birds  to 
Venice,  carrying  the  news  of  his  success.  The  people  revere 
them,  and  would  tear  in  pieces  anyone  who  should  wantonly 
treat  them  with  disrespect. 

The  Church  of  San  Marco  is  more  oriental  in  appearance 
than  most  existing  edifices  in  the  East;  but  it  is  really  compos- 
ite. A  church  in  the  shape  of  a  Greek  cross,  having  three 
Byzantine  domes  and  several  Gothic  features,  is  somewhat  con- 
fusing. Four  horses  in  gilded  bronze,  once  upon  the  Tri- 
umphal Arch  of  Nero,  then  upon  that  of  Trajan,  afterward 


Bridge  of  Sighs. 


VENICE — THE  ENCHANTED  CITY.  165 

taken  to  Constantinople,  and  finally  by  Napoleon  to  Paris, 
where  for  a  few  years  they  adorned  the  triumphal  arch  in  the 
Place  du  Carrousel,  and  then  transferred  to  Venice,  are  worthy 
of  study,  not  only  for  their  exquisite  execution,  but  their 
strange  vicissitudes.  We  lingered  long  in  this  cathedral  and 
paid  a  visit  to  the  tomb  of  St.  Mark,  upon  the  authenticity  of 
which  there  is  very  general  agreement,  to  the  extent  of  con- 
ceding that  for  centuries  before  the  Venetians  brought  it  here, 
it  had  been  revered  as  such. 

The  Palace  of  the  Doges,  in  which  we  spent  half  a  day,  is 
the  only  rival  of  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Mark  in  historic  and 
artistic  attractions.  Five  times  the  palace  was  destroyed,  and 
each  time  reconstructed  more  magnificently  than  ever,  and  it 
was  then  being  repaired  on  an  extensive  scale.  We  stood 
where  the  republic  caused  its  death  sentences  to  be  announced. 
Thence  we  passed  to  the  point  where  the  decrees  of  the  repub- 
lic were  published;  looked  at  the  prison  of  the  poet,  Count 
Silvio  Pellico;  went  to  the  steps  where  the  Doges  were 
crowned;  studied  the  multitude  of  busts  of  Venetian  artists 
and  scholars,  perceiving  a  remarkable  dissimilarity  which 
raised  a  presumption  of  fidelity;  the  fact  that  there  are  many 
bald  heads  among  them  show  that  no  remarkable  change  has 
taken  place  in  the  tendency  of  sedentary  habits  to  produce 
baldness. 

The  gloomy  dungeons  and  torture  chamber,  with  the  place 
of  execution  for  political  criminals,  furnished  sufficient  of  the 
morbid.  We  passed  over  the  famous  Bridge  of  Sighs  of  which 
Byron  speaks: 

"  I  stood  in  Venice,  on  the  Bridge  of  Sighs  ; 
A  palace  and  a  prison  on  each  hand  ;" 

and  Howells  refers  to  the  same  as  "that  pathetic  swindle — 
the  Bridge  of  Sighs." 

After  leaving  the  Hotel  Victoria  we  secured  rooms  at  the 
Hotel  Europa,  which  was  formerly  the  Palazzo  Giustiniani.  I 
have  had  my  hair  brushed  by  machinery  in  the  palace  of  Car- 
dinal Wolsey  in  London,  and  have  lodged  in  this  magnificent 
specimen  of  the  style  of  the  fifteenth  century  at  ordinary  hotel 
rates — sic  transit  gloria  mundi. 


1 66  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  church  after  San  Marco  in  order  of  importance  is  that 
in  which  the  Doges  are  buried.  It  has  been  called  the  West- 
minster Abbey  of  Venice. 

On  Sunday  we  entered  a  Roman  Catholic  mission  church, 
which  bore  the  sign  over  the  door  "Welcome."  As  we  passed 
in  we  were  notified  that  indulgences  could  be  obtained  on 
reasonable  terms.  The  building  was  crowded,  and  the  de- 
meanor of  the  worshipers  devout.  As  we  passed  out  an  acro- 
bat came  from  an  alley,  gave  a  few  specimens  of  his  power, 
and  called  the  people  to  witness  further  exhibitions  in  an  adja- 
cent building.  Punch  and  Judy  was  being  performed  not  far 
from  the  spot.  In  a  wine  shop  a  fierce  fight  was  in  progress. 
Three  men  were  ejecting  two  who  were  fighting,  and  these 
fought  all  about  the  square  for  some  minutes,  and  though  it 
looked  as  though  one  was  intent  to  kill  the  other,  no  serious 
damage  was  done,  and  no  police  appeared  to  quell  the  disturb- 
ance. 

The  ride  on  the  Grand  Canal  exhibits  a  succession  of  pal- 
aces and  other  public  buildings,  mosaic  manufactures,  acad- 
emies, magazines  of  antiquities,  courts,  municipal  offices, 
warehouses,  churches,  monasteries,  and  edifices  made  cele- 
brated by  eminent  persons  who  were  born  or  died  there.  The 
house  in  which  Catharine  Cornaro,  Queen  of  Cyprus,  was  born, 
is  now  a  pawn  office.  One  of  the  prominent  buildings  on  the 
canal  is  the  Palace  Vendramin  Calergi.  It  was  in  this  house 
that  Richard  Wagner  died  ten  years  ago. 

We  ascended  the  Campanile,  three  hundred  and  twenty-two 
feet  in  height,  covered  with  marble,  and  surmounted  by  an 
angel  sixteen  feet  high.  The  ascent  is  more  easy  than  that 
of  any  other  tower,  being  by  winding  inclined  planes  of  thirty- 
eight  bends.  The  spectacle,  including  all  the  islands,  canals, 
lagoons,  part  of  the  Adriatic,  the  distant  Alps,  and  the  Istrian 
Mountains  that  rise  above  the  Adriatic,  is  wonderful.  The 
thousandth  anniversary  of  the  foundation  of  this  tower  had 
just  been  celebrated. 

Descending,  we  took  the  gondola  for  the  railway  station, 
and  bade  adieu  to  the  widowed  "  Queen  of  the  Adriatic." 


FLORENCE — SHRINE  OF  ART,  SCIENCE,  LITERATURE.    167 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Florence — Shrine  of  Art,  Science,  Literature. 

Famous  Artists  and  Scientists — Situation  of  Florence — Cathedral— Church  of 
Santa  Croce — Monastery  of  St.  Mark— Fiesole — Ruins  and  Views— Galileo's 
Tower — The  "  Golden  Book." 

FLORENCE  is  the  birthplace  of  Dante,  by  whom,  with  his 
expounder,  Boccaccio,  the  Italian  language  was  formed,  en- 
riched, and  systematized: — Dante,  declared  by  Mr.  Gladstone 
to  be  the  greatest  moral  educator  of  the  modern  world. 
Florence  was  the  center  of  the  Renaissance;  here  Lorenzo  il 
Magnifico  was  equally  famous  as  statesman,  poet,  and  patron 
of  art  and  science;  here  was  begotten  that  worship  of  the 
antique,  which  placed  on  the  pedestal  from  which  indifferent 
and  depraved  taste  had  cast  it  down,  the  genius  of  ancient 
Greece  and  Rome  in  poetry,  eloquence,  painting,  sculpture, 
and  architecture.  Among  its  glories  are  that  here  Giotto  in 
painting,  and  Donatello  in  sculpture,  prepared  the  way  for 
Raphael  and  Michael  Angelo;  made  more  illustrious  by  the 
period  when  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  Michael  Angelo,  and  Raphael 
were  contemporaneous  in  Florence,  and  their  pupils  and  im- 
itators, of  the  most  distinguished  abilities,  from  all  parts  of 
the  world,  filled  the  city.  And  if  these  masters  had  not  lived, 
there  were  other  sculptors,  painters,  and  architects  who  would 
have  elevated  Florence  above  the  other  cities  of  Italy. 

Turning  from  arts  to  science,  the  traveler  may  visit  the 
Tribuna,  commemorative  of  Galileo,  and  behold  the  frescoes 
which  represent  him  as  studying  the  pendent  lamp,  whose 
swaying  suggested  to  him  the  philosophy  of  the  pendulum,  ex- 
pounding the  telescope  before  the  Doge  and  Council  of  Ten  at 
Venice,  and  demonstrating  to  his  pupils  the  movements  of  the 
stars.  He  may  then  enter  one  of  the  galleries  and  view  the 
statues  of  the  great  men  who  were  born  in  Florence,  or 
studied  and  flourished  there,  and  he  will  acknowledge  that  this 
has  been  preeminently  the  center  and  source  of  intellectual  life 
and  light. 


1 68 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Never  had  clustered  gems  so  fine  a  setting — in  the  heart 
of  Tuscany,  between  the  Apennines  and  the  Mediterra- 
nean, in  a  valley  watered  by  the  Arno,  surrounded  by  gentle 


Duomo  of  Florence. 


slopes,  noble  hills,  and  at  no  great  distance  more  imposing 
heights,  which  protect  it  from  extremes  of  heat  and  cold.  Had 
its  glory  been  foreseen  the  site  could  not  have  been  more 


FLORENCE — SHRINE  OF  ART,  SCIENCE,  LITERATURE.    169 

artistically  chosen.  Its  palaces,  piazzas,  squares,  monuments, 
parks,  and  private  residences,  with  their  lavish  but  not  gaudy 
decoration,  everywhere  "  betray  the  work  of  generation  after 
generation  of  ingenious  men."  That  strange  people,  the 
Etruscans,  who  came  from  an  unknown  quarter,  and  exerted 
so  strong  an  influence  upon  the  civilization  of  Europe,  settled 
here,  whence  the  name  of  the  whole  region — Tuscany.  They 
spread  the  knowledge  of  writing  and  the  mechanical  arts,  and 
one  of  the  most  interesting  collections  in  Florence  is  the 
Etruscan  Museum. 

The  Florentines  intended  that  the  cathedral  should  surpass 
all  preceding  structures.  It  was  designed  by  Arnolfo  del 
Gambia.  When  he  died  work  ceased  until  Giotto  was  re- 
quested to  complete  it;  he  did  not  live  to  do  so,  and  it  was 
intrusted  to  Brunelleschi.  One  hundred  and  twenty-two  years 
after  it  was  begun,  a  public  competition  of  models  for  the 
dome  was  announced,  the  result  of  which  was  the  construction 
of  a  dome  exceeding  all  others  in  diameter,  and  which  was  se- 
lected by  Michael  Angelo  as  the  model  for  that  of  St.  Peter's 
in  Rome.  Its  style  is  Gothic,  modified  by  the  Italian  school. 
One's  impression  on  entering  is  that  the  building  is  nearly 
empty,  but  its  size  transforms  surprise  into  a  sense  of  grandeur. 
The  noble  pavement  and  the  exquisite  stained  glass  windows 
render  the  effect  still  more  satisfactory.  The  building  is  a 
vast  gallery  of  painting  and  sculpture.  Here  are  the  mon- 
ument of  Brunelleschi  and  his  portrait  in  marble,  the  bust 
of  Giotto,  monuments  and  portraits  of  St.  Matthew,  St. 
James,  St.  Philip,  and  St.  James  the  Great,  statues  of  St. 
John,  St.  Peter,  and  St.  Luke.  A  scientific  curiosity  is  a 
round  marble  slab,  put  in  position  in  the  year  1450  by  a  math- 
ematician of  Florence,  for  observations  of  the  sun  through  an 
orifice  in  the  dome. 

We  climbed  the  bell  tower,  with  its  decorations  of  colored 
marble,  magnificent  windows,  statues,  frescoes,  and  series  of 
bas-reliefs,  representing  the  development  of  mankind  from  the 
creation  to  the  culmination  of  Christian  civilization:  the  cre- 
ation of  Eve;  Adam  and  Eve  at  work  in  the  garden;  dwell- 
ers in  tents;  and,  finally,  astronomers,  riders,  weavers,  navi- 
gators, agriculturists,  are  portrayed.  Arts  are  represented  by 


170  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

figures  of  Phidias,  Apelles,  Orpheus,  Plato,  Aristotle,  Ptole- 
my, Euclid.  Donatus,  and  an  unknown  musician.  The  view 
from  the  summit  made  us  forget  the  climb  of  four  hundred 
and  fourteen  steps. 

Interesting  as  is  the  cathedral,  the  Church  of  Santa  Croce 
surpasses  it.  It  has  been  called  the  Pantheon  of  modern 

Italy. 

"  In  Santa  Croce's  holy  precincts  lie 

Ashes  which  make  it  holier;  dust  which  is 
Even  in  itself  an  immortality, 

Though  there  was  nothing  save  the  past  and  this, 
The  particle  of  those  sublimities 

Which  have  relapsed  to  chaos :  here  repose 
Angelo's,  Alfieri's  bones,  and  his, 

The  starry  Galileo,  with  his  woes ; 

Here  Machiavelli's  earth  returned  to  whence  it  rose." 

Tombs  of  statesmen,  scholars,  poets,  architects,  and  com- 
posers, and  the  innumerable  multitude  of  masterpieces  of  dif- 
ferent artists,  make  the  church  a  place  for  delightful  and 
protracted  visits.  In  the  refectory  is  a  beautiful  painting 
of  the  Last  Supper,  and  another  of  the  Crucifixion.  The 
Tribunal  of  the  Inquisition  held  its  sittings  in  this  room. 
A  crucifix  by  Donatello,  executed  in  competition  with  Bru- 
nelleschi,  is  striking  in  its  history  and  in  itself.  In  front  of 
the  building  is  the  monument  of  Dante,  nineteen  feet  high, 
standing  on  a  pedestal  twenty-three  feet,  which  was  un- 
veiled on  the  six  hundredth  anniversary  of  his  birth,  May 
14,  1865. 

At  the  Monastery  of  St.  Mark,  no  longer  used  as  such,  but 
fitted  up  as  a  museum,  we  entered  the  cells  occupied  by 
Savonarola.  His  portrait  by  Fra  Bartolommeo,  also  an  inmate 
of  the  monastery,  his  bronze  bust,  his  crucifix  and  autographs, 
and  a  copy  of  an  old  picture  representing  his  execution,  were 
shown.  Afterward  we  went  to  the  spot  where  he  was  burned, 
now  covered  by  a  fountain,  erected  at  the  north  corner  of  the 
Palazzo  Vecchio,  sixty-six  years  after  the  tragedy,  in  the 
great  hall  of  which  there  is  a  reminder  of  the  temporary  in- 
fluence which  Savonarola  exerted.  This  hall,  constructed 
three  years  before  his  death  for  the  council  which  had  been  in- 
creased in  numbers  by  his  partisans,  is  large  enough  to  have 


FLORENCE — SHRINE  OF  ART,  SCIENCE,  LITERATURE.    171 

accommodated  the  sessions  of  the  Italian  Parliament  twenty- 
five  years  ago. 

After  several  days  spent  in  the  galleries  and  palaces  of 
Florence  I  found  my  eyes  "dim  with  excess  of  light,"  and  my 
mind  in  a  confused  state — basins  of  porphyry,  portraits  of 
Samson,  banners  of  Italian  cities,  mosaics,  and  ceilings  painted 
in  imitation  of  mosaics,  Judith  and  Holofernes,  Madonnas  and 
saints  without  number,  the  Magi,  Venus,  Bacchus,  St.  Paul, 
Csesar,  tombs,  cherubs,  Laocoons,  satyrs  with  gaps  in  their 
teeth,  cupids  on  a  dolphin,  Amazons  fighting,  small  gray  birds 
with  red  crests,  heads  of  the  Medusa,  death  of  Virgin  Mary, 
angels  with  mandolin,  massacre  of  innocents,  Luther's  wife, 
kings  on  horseback,  gamblers  struck  by  lightning,  columns  of 
oriental  alabaster,  vases  of  rock  crystal,  portraits  of  popes  and 
cardinals  and  of  Pluto,  men  with  apes  upon  their  shoulders, 
boar  hunts,  ancient  bronze  helmets,  spurs,  lamps,  old  manu- 
scripts, vaulted  aisles  and  statues  of  the  archangel  Michael, 
all  thrown  together,  with  the  names  of  Van  Dyck,  Rubens, 
Correggio,  Raphael,  Da  Vinci,  and  Titian  indiscriminately  ap- 
plied. I  was  positively  intoxicated  with  art.  But  after  a  few 
days  my  vision  clarified,  and  there  came  out  a  score  of  paint- 
ings and  statues  as  distinctly  impressed  upon  the  mind's  eye 
as  vivid  perception  of  the  physical  organs.  All  the  rest  is  lost 
in  the  milky  way  of  finite  memory. 

An  excursion  to  the  town  of  Fiesole,  "  old  when  Rome  was 
in  its  infancy,"  was  delightful.  On  the  way  we  saw  mag- 
nificent villas,  one  of  which  was  the  residence  of  the  Earl  of 
Crawford.  This  is  made  by  Boccaccio  the  residence  of  the 
narrators  in  his  Decameron,  a  book  which  has  an  interest  for 
students  of  English  (polluted,  however,  by  all  the  vices  of  its 
age  and  people),  for  it  was  the  model  of  Chaucer's  Canterbury 
Tales.  We  passed  a  favorite  villa  of  Lorenzo  il  Magnifico,  as- 
cended the  hill  by  an  excellent  road,  and  found  many  Etruscan 
ruins;  also  the  wall,  the  entrance  of  a  theater,  of  which  six- 
teen tiers  of  stone  seats  in  a  semicircle  thirty-seven  yards  in 
diameter  remain.  We  divided  our  company  of  three  into 
speaker  and  audience  and  tried  the  acoustic  and  spectacular 
properties,  which  were  so  fine  that  ten  thousand  persons  must 
have  been  able  to  see  and  hear.  The  old  monastery  and  the 


I72  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

cathedral  are  worth  the  climb,  but  the  glory  of  the  place  is  its 
ruins  and  the  lovely  prospect. 

We  caught  a  glimpse  in  the  distance  of  Galileo's  Tower. 
Here  he  entertained  Milton  when  on  a  visit  to  Florence  after 
he  became  blind,  and  when  many  of  his  former  friends 
neglected  him. 

Florence  has  some  strange  and  other  amusing  peculiarities. 
We  were  shown  two  of  Galileo's  fingers — one  with  a  ring  on  it 
pointing  upward,  under  a  glass  case;  the  other,  which  was 
stolen  from  his  tomb,  is  preserved  in  a  bottle  in  one  of  the 
libraries.  In  one  of  the  churches  is  a  chapel  begun  in  1604, 
when  Ferdinand  the  First  was  on  the  throne.  It  is  brilliantly 
frescoed,  and  has  intricate  mosaics.  Some  think  it  the  finest 
edifice  in  Florence.  It  was  designed  to  hold  the  Holy  Sep- 
ulcher  which  Ferdinand  intended  to  steal,  but  his  agents  were 
caught  when  detaching  it  from  the  Church  of  the  Holy 
Sepulcher  in  Jerusalem,  where  it  now  is. 

Here  may  be  seen  a  painting,  by  St.  Luke,  of  the  Virgin  and 
Child.  Luke,  the  physician,  must  have  been  an  industrious 
amateur  painter.  I  saw  one  of  his  paintings  in  Moscow  said 
to  have  miraculous  powers.  Over  the  bronze  statue  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Church  of  Santa  Croce  are  the  letters  I  H  S 
(lesus  Hominum  Salvator — Jesus  Saviour  of  Men).  These 
initials  were  originally  placed  in  front  of  the  church  by  St. 
Bernardino.  He  had  expostulated  with  one  of  his  flock  for 
manufacturing  playing  cards.  The  man  told  him  he  did  not 
know  how  to  make  a  living  in  any  other  way.  The  saint  ''told 
him  to  put  these  letters  on  his  blank  cards  and  sell  them."  It 
was  successful,  and  the  man  soon  grew  rich.  Now  they  are 
to  be  seen  in  every  Roman  Catholic  church  in  the  world. 

The  way  in  which  the  funds  were  raised  to  construct  the 
beautiful  road  over  which  we  traveled  to  Fiesole  is  entertaining. 
The  inhabitants  of  Fiesole  possess  what  is  called  the  "  Golden 
Book."  Those  whose  names  are  enrolled  in  it  become  nobles, 
and  the  money  was  raised  by  issuing  patents  of  nobility.  Three 
hundred  dollars  would  buy  a  title,  coat  of  arms,  and  seal. 
"  Several  Englishmen  have  invested,  and  numerous  Americans." 
Mr.  Spurgeon  satirizes  the  efforts  of  families  without  any 
genealogy  to  find  one,  by  saying  that  he  has  looked  up  his  an- 


FLORENCE — SHRINE  OF  ART,  SCIENCE,  LITERATURE.    173 

cestry  and  found  that  "he  is  descended  from  a  gardener  who 
robbed  his  master  and  lost  his  situation,  and  the  less  said 
about  it  the  better." 

Florence  affords  such  unsurpassed  facilities  to  students  of 
art  that  there  are  colonies  from  all  civilized  nations.  Its  hotels, 
pensions,  and  cafes  are  numerous  and  fine.  Many  of  the 
Tuscans  rent  their  villas  to  men  of  wealth  from  foreign  na- 
tions. One  of  these  residents  informed  me  that  a  man  knows 
absolutely  nothing  about  Florence  unless  he  has  lived  there 
five  years.  Subsequently  I  learned  that  he  had  been  there  five 
years  and  one  week. 
10 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 
Rome — The  Encyclopedic  City. 

Glance  at  Rome's  History — Seven  Hills — Tiber— Pantheon — Column  of 
Marcus  Aurelius — Grand  Circus — Forum — Arch  of  Constantine — Appian 
Way — Mamertine  Prison — Catacombs — Augustinian  Monastery — Capucine 
Cemetery — St.  Peter's — Palace  of  the  Vatican — Sistine  Chapel — St.  Paul 
Without  the  Walls — New  Rome. 

IT  is  impossible  to  anticipate  at  what  time  or  place  will  be 
felt  the  mystic  thrill,  the  soul  of  the  traveler's  emotion.  Some- 
times it  is  when  he  catches  a  glimpse  of  land  after  a  long 
voyage;  again  when  the  towers  or  spires  of  a  famous  city  rise 
upon  the  horizon;  or  it  may  be  when  the  feet  for  the  first  time 
tread  historic  or  consecrated  ground ;  or  when  the  hand  clasps 
that  of  the  friend  who  has  beckoned  us  across  the  sea.  My 
thrill  was  not  on  first  seeing  Rome,  which  was  at  midnight, 
but  when  more  than  three  hundred  miles  north  of  it,  en  route 
to  another  city,  in  a  railway  station  I  saw  one  of  the  ordinary 
placards  hung  upon  coaches,  "Train  for  Rome."  Then  the 
thought  flashed,  "You  are  within  a  few  hours'  ride  of  'The 
Mistress  of  the  World,'  'The  Imperial  City,'  'The  Eternal 
City,'  'The  Capital  of  Ancient  Civilization.'  'The  Capital  of 
the  World,'  'The  City  of  Cities,'  'The  City  of  the  Soul.'" 

Weeks  afterward,  on  arriving,  I  rode  in  a  rumbling  coach 
from  the  station  to  the  hotel  with  no  more  sense  of  the  extraor- 
dinary than  would  have  been  felt  in  any  one  of  a  thousand 
stone-paved  cities.  WThen  I  went  forth  the  next  morning  the 
history  of  the  old  Roman  world  rose  before  me,  and  for  days 
I  was  in  a  kind  of  mnemonic  trance,  which  made  the  long 
gone  past  seem  present;  for  the  historic  memory  may  be  as 
vivid  as  that  of  experience.  I  saw  the  legendary  kings  appear, 
becoming  more  distinctly  outlined  as  myth  gave  place  to  his- 
tory, and  Tarquin  the  Elder,  and  the  noble  Servius  Tullius 
stamped  their  individuality  upon  the  city.  Then  I  witnessed 
the  ignominious  expulsion  of  Tarquin  the  Superb,  whose 


ROME — THE  ENCYCLOPEDIC  CITY.  177 

tyranny  became  insupportable.  I  was  present  at  the  birth  of 
the  republic,  saw  it  give  way  to  a  dictatorship,  to  the  tri- 
bunes and  the  decemvirs,  and  finally  resume  its  sway  under 
consuls,  who  made  it  the  most  wonderful  power  the  world 
ever  knew.  I  stood  by  when  Julius  Caesar  was  assassinated, 
heard  him  gasp,  "Et  tu,  Brute"  and  listened  to  Mark  Antony's 
funeral  oration.  I  saw  Augustus  the  Magnificent,  Tiberius  the 
Saturnine,  Caligula  the  Vindictive;  witnessed  the  burning  of 
Rome,  and  heard  Nero's  fiddle.  I  saw  Titus  the  Obstinate, 
Domitian  the  Persecutor,  Trajan  the  Grand,  Hadrian  the  Os- 
tentatious, Marcus  Aurelius  the  Magnanimous,  Constantine 
the  Great,  Julian  the  Apostate,  Theodosius  the  Christian. 
Finally  I  looked  on  while  the  Western  Empire  crashed  into 
fragments.  As  these  events  passed  in  panoramic  vision,  each 
ruin  took  its  place  as  naturally  as  milestones  on  a  turnpike, 
and  aroused  the  emotions  of  a  lifetime,  which  could  be  caused 
to  vibrate  by  the  countless  chords  which  Rome  has  touched 
through  literature,  law,  and  religion. 

The  Seven  Hills  were  easily  identified,  although  in  one  or 
two  instances  accumulated  debris  had  almost  obliterated  the 
intervening  valley;  and  schoolboy  translations  that  were  per- 
plexing were  clarified  as  the  Capitoline,  Palatine,  Aventine, 
Caslian,  Esquiline,  Viminal,  and  Quirinal  hills  asserted  them- 
selves. The  location  of  the  Tarpeian  Rock,  over  which  the 
condemned  were  thrown  by  the  ancient  Romans,  cannot  be 
established.  "Father  Tiber"  was  as  muddy  as  in  ancient 
days,  but  much  smaller,  for  then  seagoing  vessels  came  to 
Rome ;  but  with  the  destruction  of  the  forests  its  water  sup- 
plies were  cut  off,  and  now  it  is  navigable  but  a  short  distance 
from  the  sea.  The  tomb  of  the  Scipios  recalled  the  ever-ro- 
mantic story  of  that  greatest  of  Roman  families,  their  exploits, 
and  the  magnificence  of  their  triumphs.  I  looked  upon  it,  and 
heard  the  slave  whisper  in  the  ear  of  the  mightiest,  on  the  day 
of  his  triumph:  "Scipio,  thou  art  but  a  man." 

Before  the  Pantheon  I  paused  on  three  occasions,  mourning 
the  statues  and  decorations  long  since  destroyed.  But  its  mag- 
nificent columns  of  granite,  the  niches  in  which  stood  the 
statues  of  Augustus  and  his  son-in-law,  the  hall  lighted  from 
above,  speak  of  the  grandeur  of  ancient  Roman  conception  as 


1 78  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

no  description  can.  The  tombs  of  Raphael  and  Victor 
Emmanuel  relax,  rather  than  deepen  the  solemnity. 

The  noble  column  of  Marcus  Aurelius  recalled  a  reign 
among  the  most  ideal  in  profane  history.  As  I  gazed  upon  it, 
indignation  arose  against  the  pope  who  crowned  it  with  a 
statue  of  St.  Paul,  who  needs  no  stolen  honors.  The  Trium- 
phal Arch  of  Titus,  with  its  bas-reliefs  describing  battle 
scenes,  not  omitting  the  more  humane  features,  brought  up 
the  horrors  of  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  whose  overthrow  it  cele- 
brates, and  the  strange  prophetic  words  of  Jesus  Christ  con- 
cerning it.  Trajan's  Column,  built  wholly  of  marble — not  of 
bronze,  as  a  recent  writer  erroneously  states — is  very  beautiful; 
its  most  pleasing  feature  being  a  spiral  band,  three  feet  wide 
and  six  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long,  running  round  the  col- 
umn, containing  bas-reliefs  of  war  scenes  from  the  life  of  Tra- 
jan, exhibiting  machines,  animals,  and  twenty-five  hundred 
human  figures.  A  statue  of  St.  Peter  now  surmounts  it, 
another  instance  of  barbarous  taste. 

A  stroll  through  the  Grand  Circus,  at  one  time  capable  of 
containing  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  spectators,  suggested  the 
vastness  of  the  population,  and  the  splendor  of  its  entertain- 
ments. It  was  found  too  small,  and  its  capacity  was  increased 
to  three  hundred  and  eighty-five  thousand.  The  Colosseum 
expanded  before  me,  as,  plan  in  hand,  with  the  aid  of  the  re- 
maining walls,  I  tried  to  reconstruct  the  edifice.  A  third  of  a 
mile  in  circumference,  and  four  stories  high,  it  would  seat 
eighty-seven  thousand.  But  that  prodigious  structure  was 
reared  to  furnish  the  people  of  Rome  with  entertainments  of 
the  same  nature  as  the  Spanish  bullfights.  Thus  original  bar- 
baric instincts  thrust  themselves  through  the  granite  and  gold 
of  ancient  civilization. 

To  me,  the  Forum  with  its  surroundings  seemed  the  grand- 
est object  in  the  ancient  ruins  of  Rome.  There  the  great 
political  and  oratorical  contests  took  place,  and  the  name  of  a 
Roman  citizen  received  its  noblest  illustration.  In  the  pop- 
ular assemblies  public  sentiment  was  molded,  expressed,  crys- 
tallized. There,  too,  the  funerals  of  the  nobility  were  cele- 
brated, and  in  later  days  it  was  filled  with  columns,  triumphal 
arches,  statues,  and  covered  with  inscriptions  recording  its 


ROME — THE  ENCYCLOPEDIC  CITY.  181 

history.  To  it  Caesar  transferred  the  orators'  tribune  which  he 
erected,  with  a  platform  sixty-five  feet  long  and  sixteen  feet 
wide,  giving  the  speaker  abundance  of  room  to  command  the 
audience  by  walking  from  point  to  point  during  his  address. 
From  it  Mark  Antony  delivered  the  immortal  funeral  oration. 
Standing  here  I  could  trace  the  sites  where  most  of  the  great- 
est events  in  the  history  of  the  city  of  Rome  took  place,  many 
of  them  identified  beyond  question,  and  others  known  to  be 
within  the  circle  of  vision. 

The  Triumphal  Arch  of  Constantine,  independent  of  its  ex- 
cellent preservation  as  a  ruin,  is  superior  to  all  other  struc- 
tures of  the  kind,  for  it  is  to  the  Christian  peculiarly  sugges- 
tive, because  erected  when  he  declared  himself  in  favor  of 
Christianity,  just  after  his  victory  over  Maxentius;  and  both 
for  this  reason  and  because  it  is  comparatively  recent,  nat- 
urally introduces  us  to  the  ecclesiastical  structures,  institu- 
tions, legends,  and  hierarchy  which,  for  so  many  centuries, 
have  given  Christian  Rome  an  influence  more  far-reaching  than 
that  which  it  had  in  the  olden  times. 

I  went  to  the  Appian  Way,  because  along  it  St.  Paul 
journeyed  on  his  way  to  Rome.  It  is  now  dusty,  rough,  and 
crowded;  but  he  who  "was  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,"  and  ''was  ready  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  them  that 
were  at  Rome  also,"  made  it  more  famous  than  he  who  built 
it  or  the  pagan  hosts  which  marched  over  it. 

In  the  Mamertine  Prison,  a  structure  which  takes  us  back 
to  the  infancy  of  Rome,  St.  Peter  is,  on  doubtful  authority, 
declared  to  have  been  imprisoned.  I  descended  into  the 
dungeon  and  saw  the  spring  which  Roman  Catholic  tradition 
says  miraculously  burst  forth  to  afford  him  water  to  baptize 
his  jailers.  He  must  have  been  physically  " petros,  a  stone;  " 
for  they  show  where,  in  falling,  his  features  were  imprinted 
upon  the  rock. 

From  the  dazzling  sunlight,  I  entered  abruptly  into  the  cat- 
acombs, and  wandered  among  them  until  wearied  with  the 
grotesque  imitations  of  pagan  models.  While  a  few  of  the 
inscriptions  are  devout,  coarse  pictures  of  the  resurrection  of 
Lazarus,  and  of  Jonah  swallowed  by  the  fish,  and  other  Old 
Testament  narratives,  exhibit  a  childish  tendency,  and  justify 


182  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

the  critics  in  affirming  that  they  show  and  participate  in  "  the 
precipitate  and  almost  total  degradation  of  art."  It  is  not  the 
place,  however,  to  see  the  best,  as  they  have  been  removed 
to  different  churches  and  museums.  Thousands  of  bones, 
supposed  to  have  miraculous  healing  properties,  have  been 
peddled  over  Europe.  As  all  sorts  of  people  were  buried  in 
the  catacombs,  it  has  been  truthfully  said  that  it  is  probable 
that  the  bones  of  the  greatest  sinners  have  been  exhumed  and 
revered  as  saints.  Twenty-eight  wagon  loads  of  bones  of 
saints  taken  from  the  catacombs  are  deposited  under  the  altar 
in  the  Pantheon. 

As  with  the  single  turn  of  the  key,  the  Augustinian  Mon- 
astery, in  which  Luther  resided  on  his  critical  visit  to  Rome, 
opened  a  picture  gallery  in  the  memory  in  which  are  pre- 
served the  battle  scenes  of  his  mighty  struggles  for  religious 
freedom.  Indeed,  with  every  step  one  takes  in  Rome  he  treads 
upon  invisible  wires  that  reach  through  the  ages  and  around 
the  world. 

The  Capucine  Cemetery  is  one  of  the  worst  specimens  of 
morbid  taste.  The  vaults  are  filled  with  human  bones  made 
into  ornaments  of  different  kinds.  There  skeletons  lie  under 
canopies  of  bones  upon  bone  couches.  It  was  suggestive  of 
the  recent  momentous  changes  when,  in  answer  to  a  question 
whether  the  monks  are  still  buried  there,  the  custodian  (himself 
a  monk)  said,  "It  is  forbidden  by  law."  The  College  of  the 
Propaganda,  swarming  with  students  from  all  countries,  whom 
we  saw  come  forth  at  the  close  of  their  recitations,  a  polyglot 
band,  from  whose  talk  we  caught  snatches  of  every  language, 
as  they  walked  along  the  streets,  demonstrates  that  those  Prot-' 
estants  who  think  of  Romanism  as  weakening  are  dreamers. 

St.  Peter's  is  vast  and  commanding,  but  contains  a  melange 
of  different  types  of  beauty  which  mar  each  other;  the  dome 
is  perfect;  the  contents  so  multifarious  as  to  bewilder.  The 
high  altar  over  the  tomb  of  St.  Peter,  the  confessional  boxes 
for  the  different  languages,  the  sitting  statue  of  St.  Peter 
with  one  of  the  feet  much  worn  by  the  kisses  of  devotees, 
attract  attention;  but  St.  John  Lateran,  where  the  popes  are 
crowned,  is  historically  more  interesting.  St.  Luke  again 
appears  as  an  artist,  and  the  picture  attributed  to  him,  of 


Murillo's  Sacred   Family. 


ROME — THE  ENCYCLOPEDIC  CITY.  185 

the  Virgin  and  Child,  was  carried  by  Gregory  the  Great  in 
procession  to  check  the  plague  in  590.  The  Church  claims 
to  have  the  cedar  table  on  which  the  Last  Supper  was  eaten. 


Raphael's  Sacred  Family. 

The  vast  palace  of  the  Vatican,  in  which  millions  upon  mil- 
lions believe  that  the  vicegerent  of  God  resides,  our  party 
entered,  not  unmindful  of  the  grandeur  and  comprehensive- 
ness of  the  assumption,  the  devotion  of  those  who  accept  it,  and 


i86  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

the  power  of  the  ancient  organization  of  which  the  pope  is 
the  head.  Italy  is  to-day  independent  and  free,  the  pope  a 
voluntary  prisoner,  his  dominions  politically  restricted  to  these 
twenty  courts  and  eleven  thousand  halls,  saloons,  and  apart- 
ments! 

The  Sistine  Chapel  and  Raphael's  Stanze  and  Loggie  are 
rivals  for  the  palm  of  modern  art.  Raphael's  Madonna,  the 
invaluable  treasure  of  the  picture  gallery  in  Dresden,  seems  to 
me  to  excel  in  dignity  and  beauty  the  frescoes  in  the  Sistine 
Chapel,  the  Stanze,  the  Transfiguration,  or  any  other  work  of 
Raphael  or  of  Michael  Angelo. 

St.  Paul  Without  the  Walls,  formerly  held  to  be  the  finest 
church  in  Rome,  but  damaged  by  a  fire  in  1823,  is  still  a  strong 
competitor  with  any  other  ecclesiastical  edifice.  The  critics 
affirm  that  it  is  now  showy,  and  in  many  respects  unpleasing; 
but  the  people  praise  it.  It  is  an  astonishingly  conspicuous 
edifice,  but  from  the  Roman  point  of  view  churchly.  In  it  on 
the  feast  day  of  St.  Paul  I  heard  the  finest  singing  that  Rome 
can  produce.  A  man  known  as  the  "Angel  of  Rome,"  with 
a  remarkably  clear  feminine  voice,  was  the  principal  soprano, 
and  the  powerful  chorus  reverberated  through  the  structure  in 
answering  waves  of  melody.  St.  Paul  is  said  to  be  buried 
here,  though  it  is  claimed  by  some  that  his  body  with  that  of 
St.  Peter,  is  in  St.  John  Lateran. 

New  Rome  is  a  bustling,  building,  thriving  city.  The 
"dead  lion  "  and,  not  the  "  living  dog,"  but  a  young  lion  are 
side  by  side,  and  the  best  descriptive  title  and  the  shortest 
that  can  be  given  to  the  two  is,  Rome — The  Encyclopedic 
City. 


NAPLES — THE  WANTON  BEAUTY.  187 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
Naples — The  Wanton  Beauty. 

Noted  Residents  of  and  Visitors  to  Naples — Beauty  of  Situation — Cathedral 
— Miracle  of  Liquefaction- -National  Museum — Aquarium — Neapolitan  Pe- 
culiarities and  Morals — Corse  Garibaldi  and  Corso  Vitlorio  Emanuele — Im- 
provements. 

THOUGH  Naples  is  older  than  Rome,  and  therefore  contem- 
porary with  its  history,  and  of  Greek  origin,  it  has  few  Greek 
or  Roman  ruins.  Nor  is  its  position  in  art,  literature,  or 
science  equal  to  that  of  any  of  the  important  Italian  cities. 
It  has  "never  been  able  to  dispense  with  the  assistance  of 
foreign  artists,"  and  the  tourist  who  has  been  in  Venice,  Flor- 
ence, and  Rome  finds  in  art  comparatively  little  to  interest 
him  in  Naples.  Relatively  to  the  size  of  the  city,  the  most 
populous  in  the  kingdom,  there  are  few  fine  buildings,  the 
streets  generally  being  narrow  and  dirty,  and  the  houses 
high  and  narrow.  Yet,  Rome  excepted,  Naples  is  the  best 
known  and  most  frequently  mentioned  city  in  Italy.  Its 
beauty,  vicissitudes,  physical  and  political,  extreme  liveliness, 
immorality,  and  sunny  clime  account  for  its  fame.  The 
renowned  men  who  have  resided  here  from  the  earliest  times, 
contribute  to  its  celebrity.  It  was  a  favorite  resort  of  Augus- 
tus. Virgil  lived  near  Naples,  there  wrote  some  of  his  finest 
poems,  and  is  said  to  be  buried  not  far  from  the  city. 

It  was  in  the  suburbs  of  Naples  that  the  last  monarch  of  the 
Western  Empire  died.  In  modern  times  the  poet  Rogers,  Bul- 
wer,  and  other  noted  writers,  frequented  it.  Mr.  Gladstone 
has  always  greatly  admired  the  city,  enjoying  its  climate,  scen- 
ery, and  literary  associations.  He  was  there  at  the  time  of  my 
visit,  receiving  high  honors;  no  other  Englishman  being  so 
popular  in  Italy  as  he.  Rogers  gave  loose  rein  to  Pegasus 
when  he  wrote  of  Naples: 

"  This  region,  surely,  is  not  of  the  earth, 
Was  it  not  dropped  from  heaven  ?     Not  a  grove, 
Citron,  or  pine,  or  cedar;  not  a  grot, 
Sea-worn  and  mantled  with  the  gadding  vine, 
But  breathes  enchantment." 


1 88  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Among  the  cities  of  Europe,  in  beauty  of  situation,  it  has  no 
rival  excepting  Constantinople.  Our  hotel  (Bristol)  is  half 
a  mile  from  the  station  in  the  new  part  of  the  city,  upon  a  high 
hill  overlooking  the  bay,  the  mountains,  the  old  and  new  towns. 

Naples  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  bay;  three  islands  sepa- 
rating it  from  the  sea — Procida,  Ischia,  and  Capri.  To  the 
southeast  the  bay  is  bounded  by  Monte  San  Angelo — as  high 
as  Mount  Mansfield  in  Vermont;  north  of  that  eminence  rises 
Vesuvius.  In  fair  weather  the  bay,  thus  protected,  is  smooth 
as  glass,  bright  as  polished  silver,  reflecting  the  surrounding 
mountains  and  the  city  in  an  astonishing  manner. 

"...  Not  a  cliff  but  flings 
On  the  clear  wave  some  image  of  delight." 

Whatever  the  outlook,  the  Bay  of  Naples  furnishes  the  ideal 
of  beauty.  In  storms  it  is  not  more  grand  than  other  bays, 
but  at  sunrise,  at  sunset,  or  in  midday,  it  is  unsurpassably 
lovely. 

The  cathedral  is  disappointing.  Some  of  the  pictures  are 
striking;  others  of  questionable  taste.  Christ  is  represented 
between  St.  Januarius  and  Athanasius.  Behind  the  altar  are 
two  bottles  reputed  to  contain  the  blood  of  St.  Januarius,  and 
that  furnish  the  materials  for  the  far-famed  miracle  which 
occurs  three  times  a  year — in  May,  September,  and  Decem- 
ber— and  is  said  to  last  eight  days.  The  legend  is  that  it  first 
liquefied  when  the  body  of  St.  Januarius,  who  suffered  martyr- 
dom under  Diocletian,  was  brought  to  Naples  in  the  time  of 
Constantine.  The  transformation  takes  place  between  nine 
and  ten  A.  M.,  and  the  people  think  that  according  as  the 
flow  is  rapid  or  slow,  it  is  a  good  or  evil  omen  for  the  rest  of 
the  year.  The  day  of  his  martyrdom  is  September  19,  and 
this  is  the  chief  festival  on  these  occasions.  Also  in  times  of 
unusual  calamity  the  head  of  the  martyr  and  the  bottles  con- 
taining his  alleged  blood  are  solemnly  carried  to  the  high  altar 
of  the  cathedral,  when  the  bottles  being  brought  in  contact 
with  the  head,  the  blood  which  they  contain  is  believed  to 
liquefy,  and  is  elevated  before  the  people  as  an  object  of  ven- 
eration, and  as  a  miracle  to  convince  doubters  of  the  truth  of 
Christianity. 


NAPLES — THE  WANTON  BEAUTY.  189 

The  tradition  exists  that  during  the  reign  of  Napoleon  the 
priests  intended  to  dispense  with  the  miracle,  in  order  to  lead 
the  people  to  believe  that  the  saint  was  angry  because  of  the 
usurpation  of  Napoleon.  The  emperor,  however,  ordered  the 
priests  to  produce  it,  and  they  obeyed.  A  few  of  the  three  hun- 
dred churches,  such  as  St.  Paul  or  S.  Martino,  are  interesting, 
but  the  majority  are  ordinary. 

I  should  have  been  grievously  disappointed  in  Naples,  ex- 
cept in  its  natural  scenery,  but  for  the  astonishing  treas- 
ures in  the  National  Museum,  which  would  make  any  city  fa- 
mous. Everything  capable  of  shedding  light  upon  ancient 
Greek  civilization,  and  upon  the  Roman  world  in  the  days  of 
Pompeii  and  Herculaneum,  can  here  be  found:  caskets,  cook- 
ing utensils,  weapons  of  war  and  gladiatorial  combats,  bronze 
figures  without  number,  tripods,  lamps,  candelabra,  primitive 
bas-reliefs,  antique  vases,  marble  slabs,  drawings,  elegant 
copies  of  celebrated  sculptures  and  paintings  of  different 
epochs  ;  more  than  two  thousand  inscriptions,  including  curi- 
ous epitaphs;  the  Christian  inscriptions  from  the  catacombs 
of  Rome  and  Naples,  and  especially  the  collection  of  marble 
sculptures,  containing  hundreds  of  identified  statues  of  the  great 
men  of  Greece  and  Rome.  The  bust  of  Homer  is  declared  to 
be  "the  finest  of  all  the  ideal  representations  of  the  blind 
bard."  Burckhardt  speaks  of  it  as  having  given  him  the  high- 
est idea  of  Grecian  sculpture,  and  declares  that  "the  aged 
brow  and  cheek  are  instinct  with  supernatural  mental  effort 
and  prophetic  inspiration."  He  adds,  that  these  are  combined 
"  with  that  perfect  serenity  which  ever  characterizes  the 
blind."  If  this  refers  to  the  expression,  observations  in  blind 
asylums  have  led  me  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  sadness  rather 
than  serenity  which  is  seen  upon  their  countenances;  if  to 
their  dispositions,  I  have  not  found  reason  to  think  that  seren- 
ity is  a  special  attribute  of  the  blind. 

Among  the  statues  are  those  of  Seneca,  Brutus,  Cicero, 
Alexander  the  Great,  Euripides,  Demosthenes,  Socrates,  and 
Herodotus.  An  American  who  attached  much  importance 
to  physiognomy,  was  in  the  museum  on  the  same  occasion, 
and  spoke  of  the  harmony  existing  between  the  characters  of 
these  men  and  the  expressions  given  to  their  countenances  by 


190  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

the  artists.  But,  alas  for  his  theory,  "  many  of  the  busts,  both 
Greek  and  Roman,  are  either  unknown  or  erroneously  named." 

The  Pompeian  antiquities  and  objects  of  art  are  of  almost  in- 
credible number  and  variety.  We  lingered  among  these  a  long 
time,  especially  over  the  cabinets  containing  articles  of  food 
and  utensils  in  common  use  at  Pompeii.  There  is  a  bottle  of 
oil;  a  double  pan  with  meat;  a  glass  vessel  with  barley;  a  tube 
of  olives;  loaves  of  bread,  one  of  which  has  stamped  upon  it 
the  baker's  name,  Celer,  slave  of  Q.  Granius  Verus;  grain, 
nuts,  pears,  figs,  onions,  most  of  which  would  grow  if  planted, 
and  honeycomb.  The  collection  of  coins,  equally  full,  is 
arranged  so  as  to  display  the  Greek,  the  Roman,  the  Mediaeval, 
and  the  Neapolitan;  there  are  many  ancient  jewels  from 
Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  of  gold,  pearls,  and  precious  stones; 
chain,  bracelets,  and  pair  of  earrings  found  with  a  female  skele- 
ton in  one  of  the  houses  of  Pompeii;  and  ancient  terra  cottas 
from  the  same  mine  of  antiquity. 

The  Aquarium  has  the  advantage  of  situation  so  far  south 
on  the  Mediterranean,  and  is  unrivaled,  containing  various 
species  of  living  coral,  several  varieties  of  electric  fish,  which 
visitors  are  allowed  to  touch,  a  monstrous  devilfish,  and  other 
marine  monsters.  It  is  under  the  charge  of  the  Zoological 
Station,  supported  by  naturalists  in  all  parts  of  the  globe. 
The  governments  of  Europe  and  various  universities  make 
an  annual  contribution  of  about  thirteen  thousand  dollars, 
•  in  return  for  which  naturalists  from  those  countries  are  per- 
mitted the  facilities  of  the  institution  for  the  prosecution  of 
investigations. 

The  peculiarities  of  the  Neapolitan  people,  which  have 
caused  them  to  be  slightingly  spoken  of  for  ages,  need  care- 
ful treatment;  for  the  slander  of  a  city  is  doing  by  wholesale 
what  speaking  evil  of  individuals  does  by  retail.  The  nar- 
rowness of  the  streets  and  the  open-air  life  of  the  poorer 
classes  is  a  feature  of  oriental  rather  than  of  European  life, 
and  is  the  result  of  the  southern  climate,  in  which  the  inhab- 
itants of  cities  need  the  protection  from  the  blazing  sun  afforded 
by  high  and  close  walls.  Vice  and  virtue  are  crowded  together, 
and  shame,  the  outpost  of  morals,  has  little  opportunity  for 
development  among  the  lower  orders. 


NAPLES — THE  WANTON  BEAUTY.  191 

From  infancy  they  make  public  those  things  which  should 
be  kept  private.  Pagan  vices  have  been  perpetuated  as  no- 
where else,  and  what  was  charged  by  St.  Paul  against  the  old 
Roman  world  has  been  committed  by  the  vicious  from  his  day 
until  now. 

But  what  of  the  morals  of  the  middle  and  higher  classes  ?  I 
shall  not  make  baseless  charges  or  affirm  that  the  tales  of 
Boccaccio  and  La  Fontaine  concerning  Neapolitan  morality 
are  as  applicable  now  as  when  they  were  written.  It  was  a 
just  rebuke  to  a  writer  who  affirmed  that  all  the  women  of 
Paris  are  frivolous  and  false,  "If  it  were  so,  how  could  you 
know?"  But  a  lightness  of  disposition,  which  makes  pleasure 
the  end  of  life,  is  characteristic  of  the  people.  Its  effects 
are  everywhere  evident  in  the  ostentatious  splendor  of  deco- 
ration of  the  palaces  of  the  nobility,  and  the  houses  of  those 
who  emulate  them;  in  the  vanity  and  coquettish  spirit  of  women 
of  all  classes;  in  the  terrible  testimony  of  official  statistics;  in 
the  pictures  that  are  most  popular;  the  ideals  of  art  most  influ- 
ential; and  in  the  plays  and  style  of  acting  most  in  vogue.  A 
common  remark  is  that  the  women  of  Naples  are  the  chief 
source  of  its  moral  and  social  corruption,  but  it  is  impossible 
for  women  generally  to  be  bad  where  men  are  good. 

The  climate  favors  luxury  and  effeminacy.  "The  energy 
and  strength  of  the  most  powerful  nations  have  invariably 
succumbed  to  this  alluring  influence.  Greeks,  Oscans,  Ro- 
mans, Goths,  Byzantines,  Normans,  Germans,  and  Spaniards 
have  in  succession  been  masters  of  the  place,  yet  it  has  rarely 
attained  even  a  transient  reputation  in  the  annals  of  politics, 
art,  or  literature."  I  observed  strong  resemblances  between 
the  people  of  Seville  and  Naples,  yet  there  is  one  marked 
difference.  Naples  is  a  lively,  bustling  place;  whether  one 
go  among  the  finer  business  streets,  into  the  region  of  small 
shops,  or  to  the  quays,  all  is  life  and  activity.  One  thing 
should  be  said,  Naples  is  not  as  bad  as  it  once  was;  at  least, 
a  decent  regard  to  the  sentiment  of  the  age  has  led  to  the 
concealment  of  many  things  which  travelers  of  thirty  or  fifty 
years  ago  described  as  shamefully  public. .  And  other  cities 
have  become  worse.  I  believe  that  to-day  Naples  is  as  moral 
as  Vienna. 


192  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

"  Vedi  Napoli  e  poi  mori" 

"See  Naples,  and  then  die!"  Yea,  I  have  seen  Naples  and 
shall  die,  and  so  will  those  who  do  not  see  it.  The  signifi- 
cance of  this  vain  proverb  is  that,  after  having  seen  Naples, 
there  is  no  hope  of  seeing  anything  so  fine  in  this  world.  But 
beautiful  as  sunset  is  on  the  Bay  of  Naples,  it  did  not  sur- 
pass, if  it  equaled,  one- that  I  enjoyed  on  Lake  Champlain. 

In  the  United  States  we  have  a  thousand  beauteous  lakes 
and  noble  and  pleasant  bays  in  every  variety  of  climate,  but 
they  are  without  the  historic  associations  which  have  made 
Naples  famous,  nor  are  they  accessible,  as  it  is,  to  the  peoples 
of  many  nations. 

Probably  the  greatest  day  in  the  history  of  Naples  was  the 
7th  of  October,  1860,  when,  side  by  side,  King  Victor  Emman- 
uel and  Garibaldi  entered  Naples.  Their  names  are  perpetu- 
ated by  the  Corso  Garibaldi  and  the  Corso  Vittorio  Emanuele, 
the  latter  as  a  work  of  engineering  is  no  mean  accomplish- 
ment, being  carried  by  windings  and  viaducts  around  the  hills 
of  St.  Elmo  and  the  Posilippo.  The  genuineness  of  Virgil's 
Tomb  is  doubtful,  but  we  learn  from  his  own  works  that  he 
composed  the  Georgics  and  the  ^Eneid  on  the  Posilippo,  where 
he  had  a  villa. 

Our  ride  through  the  worst  parts  of  the  city  left  no  room 
for  wonder  at  the  devastation  of  the  plague  nor  at  the  preva- 
lence of  vice;  but  in  a  short  time  the  traveler  will  find  Naples 
one  of  the  cleanest  municipalities  upon  the  globe.  Plans  had 
then  been  adopted  for  the  destruction  of  seven  thousand 
houses  and  sixty-two  churches  in  the  most  populous  and  squalid 
sections  of  the  city. 

Among  the  objects  to  be  destroyed  were  the  monuments  of 
twenty  kings  and  sixty  viceroys.  Where  more  than  a  hundred 
and  eighty  thousand  people,  or  six  hundred  to  the  acre,  have 
been  crowded,  fine,  broad  streets  will  be  laid  out,  and  well- 
built  houses  erected.  These  improvements  had  been  in  con- 
templation ever  since  the  awful  cholera  epidemic  of  1884,  but 
the  final  arrangements  were  not  perfected  until  a  few  months 
before.  I  may  add  that  twelve  thousand  laborers  were  set  to 
work  on  the  first  day  of  July,  1889,  and  the  improvements 
were  expected  to  take  four  years. 


VESUVIUS  AND  POMPEII.  193 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 
Vesuvius  and  Pompeii. 

Ascent  of  Vesuvius — At  the  Summit — History  of  the  Volcano — Edge  of  the 
Crater  —  The  Descent  —  Pompeii —  Streets  —  Houses —  Baths — Theater — 
Pathetic  Discoveries. 

I  HAD  never  seen  in  action  a  volcano  which  had  been 
seriously  destructive  to  the  works  or  lives  of  men,  and  felt  an 
intense  curiosity  to  see  Vesuvius,  the  most  active  volcano, 
standing  in  territory  occupied  by  civilized  man;  the  most  de- 
structive and  historically  noteworthy,  though  by  no  means  the 
loftiest;  the  most  strikingly  situated,  frequently  observed  and 
investigated  by  science. 

While  I  was  in  Algiers  a  cable  dispatch  announced  that 
Vesuvius  showed  signs  of  activity;  and  soon  another  stated 
that  it  was  in  a  state  of  eruption.  It  was  too  much  to  ex- 
pect— and  since  none  can  foretell  the  results  of  its  action, 
hardly  the  thing  to  desire — that  the  display  should  continue 
until  our  arrival.  But  at  10  o'clock,  on  our  first  evening  in 
Naples,  I  stepped  out  upon  the  roof  of  the  hotel  and  saw  in 
the  darkness  what  seemed  like  incessant  flashes  of  heat  light- 
ning rising  perpendicularly,  apparently  within  a  few  hundred 
yards.  A  guest  informed  me  that  it  was  the  lurid  light  of 
Vesuvius,  but  the  feeblest  display  which  had  been  seen  for 
many  nights,  owing  to  dense  clouds.  The  next  day  was 
stormy,  and  not  till  the  fourth  was  the  weather  suitable  for  an 
ascent. 

A  railroad  extends  to  within  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the 
edge  of  the  crater.  It  was  out  of  order,  whereof  I  was  glad, 
for  "though  the  spirit  was  willing  the  flesh  was  weak,"  and  we 
might  have  yielded  to  the  temptation  to  ride  luxuriously  to 
the  summit.  After  going  by  train  to  the  station,  horses  were 
procured  near  Torre  Annunziata.  Our  route  led  across  a 
plain  three  or  four  miles  long,  gradually  ascending  until  a 
height  of  twenty-four  hundred  feet  was  attained.  Much  of  it 


i94 


TRAVKLS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


was  covered  with  grass,  other  parts  being  carefully  cultivated. 
All  around  were  evidences  of  peaceful  security,  and  only  the 
mysterious  crust  of  lava,  heaps  of  slag,  and  loose  ashes  would 
suggest  anything  extraordinary.  The  cone  rises  twelve  or 
fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  place  where  horses  are  left. 
It  consists  of  disintegrated  lava,  ashes,  and  a  material  much 
like  writing  sand  in  color  and  appearance,  and  resembles  an 
old-fashioned  cone  of  loaf  sugar. 


Vesuvius  and  Pompeii. 

To  ascend  is  difficult,  requiring  an  hour  and  a  quarter  of  la- 
borious climbing.  Subterranean  detonations,  resembling  dis- 
tant thunder  and  causing  a  perceptible  trembling  of  the  earth, 
made  it  impossible  not  to  realize  that  we  were  walking  over 
fiery  abysses  and  approaching  "the  Forge  of  Vulcan." 

Dense  masses  of  smoke  and  hot  vapors  of  a  sulphurous 
odor  rendered  the  summit  invisible.  As  we  drew  nearer  these 
vapors  burst  at  our  feet  from  fissures  in  the  lava.  Suddenly  the 
guide,  hastening  forward  a  few  feet,  declared  that  this  was  the 
work  of  the  last  twenty-four  hours.  There  upon  the  earth 


VESUVIUS  AND  POMPEII.  195 

was  the  fresh  yellow  discharge,  still  too  hot  to  be  taken  up  in 
the  hand.  I  supposed  it  to  be  sulphur,  but  found  it  to  consist 
of  lava  colored  by  chloride  of  iron.  That  which  I  brought 
away  turned  black  within  six  hours. 

Lines  of  demarcation  were  easily  traced  between  the  lava 
deposits  of  different  eruptions.  The  rocks  were  sooty  and 
would  crumble  easily.  The  effect  of  the  eruptions  changes  the 
height  of  the  mountain,  which  varies  from  thirty-nine  hundred 
to  forty-three  hundred  feet.  The  ancient  summit  was  de- 
stroyed in  the  first  recorded  outbreak.  We  paused  a  moment 
for  rest  before  the  final  ascent  to  the  edge  of  the  crater.  The 
smoke  was  suffocating,  unpleasantly  affecting  our  throats  and 
innermost  parts  of  the  breathing  apparatus,  and  it  was  as  dark 
as  a  London  fog. 

During  that  pause  I  reviewed  the  history  of  this  mountain  of 
terror.  In  the  time  of  Augustus  it  was  merely  conjectured, 
from  the  ashes  on  the  summit,  that  it  might  have  been  a 
volcano,  but  that,  if  so,  its  fires  were  extinct.  In  63  and 
64  A.  D.  fearful  earthquakes  destroyed  that  hope.  But  on 
August  24,  79,  took  place  that  appalling  eruption,  the  first 
recorded,  which  destroyed  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii  and  af- 
frighted the  world.  Down  to  the  year  1500  nine  eruptions  are 
recorded;  since  that  period  more  than  fifty.  From  1500  to 
1631  it  was  so  quiet  that  the  mountain  was  covered  with  trees 
and  cattle  grazed  within  the  crater.  Then  came  an  outburst 
which  threw  stones  fifteen  miles,  one  of  them  twenty-five  tons 
in  weight;  seven  streams  of  lava  poured  from  the  summit;  three 
thousand  persons  perished.  In  1707  Naples  was  covered  with 
dense  showers  of  ashes.  In  1779  red-hot  stones  weighing  a 
hundred  pounds  were  hurled  two  thousand  feet  into  the  air.  In 
1 86 1  there  was  a  frightful  outbreak,  witnessed  by  eminent 
scientists.  Ten  years  later  Vesuvius  discharged  a  stream  of 
lava  a  thousand  yards  wide  and  twenty  feet  deep,  and  sent  up 
smoke  mingled  with  red-hot  stones  four  thousand  feet,  and 
clouds  of  ashes  to  twice  that  height.  Sometimes  the  ashes 
have  been  found  as  far  away  as  Constantinople. 

Girding  ourselves  for  the  remaining  task,  we  pressed  forward 
to  the  edge  of  the  crater,  the  heat  of  the  surface  upon  which  we 
walked  becoming  so  intense  as  to  threaten  the  destruction  of 
11 


196  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

our  boots.  At  last  the  full  terror  and  splendor  of  the  scene 
was  before  us.  High  in  the  air  were  hurled  stones,  ten  or 
fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  accompanied  by  ashes  and  smoke, 
which,  as  they  rose  and  fell  back  into  the  crater,  seemed  the 
result  of  sudden  successive  explosions.  With  the  high  wind 
caused  by  the  heat,  the  black  masses  of  aqueous  vapor,  the 
smoke,  the  vivid  light,  the  roar,  and  the  spectacle  of  these 
stones  rising  hundreds  of  feet,  it  was  vividly  suggestive  of 
doomsday.  Yet  in  comparison  with  the  premonitory  earth- 
quakes, day  turned  into  night,  the  extraordinary  agitation  of 
the  sea,  dense  clouds  overhanging  land  and  sea  riven  by  in- 
cessant flashes  of  lightning,  the  emission  of  fire  and  ashes,  the 
descent  of  streams  of  lava,  and  the  universal  terror  of  man  as 
described  by  Pliny  in  a  letter  to  the  historian  Tacitus,  what  we 
saw  must  have  been  but  as  the  overture  before  the  full  swell 
of  Pluto's  chorus. 

There  is  always  danger.  Not  long  before  we  were  there  a 
gentleman  was  struck  by  a  stone  and  seriously  injured.  In 
1854  a  young  German  approaching  too  near  the  shelving 
brink,  exposed  himself  to  the  fumes,  lost  his  footing,  fell  in, 
and  was  killed. 

The  volcano  is  to-day,  as  it  has  been  through  the  ages,  the 
king  of  physical  terrors,  and  one  of  the  unsolved  mysteries  of 
science.  A  common  working  hypothesis  is  that  volcanoes  are 
connected  with  the  waters  of  the  sea;  that  the  vast  quantities 
of  steam  result  from  the  contact  of  the  water  with  burning 
liquids,  and  that  the  earthquakes  are  caused  by  expanding 
gases. 

The  descent  of  the  cone  was  accomplished  in  ten  minutes, 
although  we  sank  above  our  knees  in  the  black,  disintegrated 
lava;  but  so  steep  was  the  declivity  that  gravity  pushed  us 
down  upon  a  rapid  run.  The  long  line  of  catastrophes  has  not 
deterred  the  inhabitants  from  rebuilding  their  towns. 

Before  going  to  Pompeii  I  had  visited  the  museum  already 
described;  for  the  most  valuable  frescoes,  as  well  as  nearly  all 
the  ornamental  paintings,  tomb  inscriptions,  bronzes,  busts 
and  statuettes,  armor,  helmets  and  weapons,  vases,  household 
utensils,  lamps,  candelabra,  musical  and  surgical  instruments, 
scales  and  weights,  mirrors,  ink  holders,  bells,  compasses, 


VESUVIUS  AND  POMPEII.  197 

coins,  cut  gems,  gold  and  silver  objects— in  fact,  everything 
found  in  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii  had  been  removed  there. 

Pompeii,  though  so  old,  was  never  large.  It  was  on  a 
river  near  the  sea,  and  had  much  inland  commerce.  Earth- 
quakes, volcanic  eruptions,  and  other  convulsions  of  nature 
have  separated  it  from  both  sea  and  river.  It  was  long  pros- 
perous and  a  popular  resort  of  the  Romans.  Its  first  shock 
was  in  63,  when  by  an  earthquake  a  large  part  of  it  was  de- 
stroyed. Being  rebuilt  in  the  then  modern  style,  sixteen  years 
subsequently  it  was  utterly  destroyed.  The  destruction  was 
not  by  lava,  but  by  ashes  and  red-hot  fragments  of  pumice  stone. 
The  whole  can  be  told  in  a  few  words:  "  The  first  premonitory 
symptom  was  a  dense  shower  of  ashes,  the  stratum  of  which 
covered  the  town  to  the  depth  of  about  three  feet.  .  .  .  The 
ashes  were  followed  by  a  shower  of  red-hot  rappili,  or  pumice 
stone,  of  all  sizes,  which  covered  the  town  to  the  depth  of  seven 
or  eight  feet,  and  was  succeeded  by  fresh  showers  of  ashes,  and 
again  by  rappili. "  This  completely  enveloped  the  city.  After 
the  first  shower  the  inhabitants  escaped,  but  many  returned, 
and  it  is  supposed  that  two  thousand  were  lost.  Excavations 
were  carried  on  irregularly  for  a  long  time,  but  of  late  years 
with  scientific  thoroughness. 

Little  more  than  half  the  place  has  been  excavated,  yet  the 
work  has  been  done  so  beautifully  that  the  town  seems  like  a 
picture  artistically  painted  upon  a  horizontal  wall.  We  walked 
along  the  streets  as  the  inhabitants  walked;  we  entered  their 
houses  by  the  doors  through  which  they  passed,  and  went  from 
room  to  room  as  one  might  go  through  houses  offered  for 
rental.  The  streets  that  have  pavements  are  not  more  than 
eight  yards  wide,  the  alleys  from  ten  to  fourteen  feet.  They 
are  paved  with  blocks  of  lava.  The  ruts  made  by  the  wagons 
and  the  impressions  of  the  horses'  hoofs  still  remain.  Some 
of  the  streets,  as  in  modern  cities,  were  devoted  to  shops  and 
stores.  In  the  finer  avenues  are  large  buildings  occupied  by 
their  owners,  the  lower  stories  of  which  were  rented  as  shops. 
Little  glass  was  used,  therefore  most  of  the  houses  presented 
blank  walls  to  the  streets. 

I  noticed  the  similarity  between  these  houses  and  those  of 
the  Moors  in  Algiers  and  Morocco.  Like  those,  these  were 


I98  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

built  with  internal  courts,  providing  the  chambers  fronting 
upon  them  with  light;  the  roof  sloped  inward  and  had  an  open- 
ing in  the  center;  there  was  a  court,  the  middle  of  which  was 
laid  out  as  a  garden,  and  beyond  were  servants'  rooms,  to 
whom  also  the  upper  floor  appears  to  have  been  given.  The 
public  buildings  include  temples,  theater,  forum,  and  baths. 

The  archaeologists  in  charge  of  the  excavations  have  been 
compelled  to  name  the  streets  and  public  buildings,  and  have 
done  so  with  excellent  taste.  The  baths  are  elaborate,  con- 
taining marble  basins  for  washing  the  hands  and  face  with  cold 
water,  others  for  warm  water,  baths  for  women,  chambers  for 
disrobing.  The  customhouse,  several  bake  houses,  and  the 
residence  of  a  surgeon  have  been  identified. 

The  principal  theater  is  perfectly  preserved,  and  would  seat 
five  thousand  persons,  the  amphitheater  twenty  thousand. 
The  aspect  of  the  buildings  is  that  of  a  very  prosperous  town. 
Many  of  the  baths  and  larger  rooms  of  the  houses  are  fres- 
coed in  a  style  still  pleasing.  Here  is  no  life,  yet  it  is  not 
a  cemetery.  When  men  die  one  by  one  successors  speed- 
ily occupy  their  places  of  abode  and  business,  so  that  the 
city  continues.  It  is  here  rather  as  if  a  population  had 
been  spirited  away  and  a  horde  of  vandals  had  denuded  their 
dwellings. 

It  has  been  common  to  speak  of  Pompeii  as  an  excessively 
wicked  city,  and  of  its  destruction  as  a  judgment,  and  extrava- 
gant tales  have  been  told  of  the  evidences  of  the  grossest 
licentiousness  which  the  excavations  have  revealed.  I  have 
seen  these  remains,  but  find  no  evidence  that  this  was  any 
worse  than  hundreds  of  other  ancient  cities,  and  think  the 
idea  that  the  town  was  given  up  to  the  lowest  forms  of  wick- 
edness contrary  to  all  the  presumptions.  It  would  be  possible 
to  collect  from  the  depraved  sections  of  several  American 
cities  as  many  evidences  of  bestiality  relatively  to  the  popula- 
tion in  those  quarters  as  were  found  in  Pompeii.  The  houses 
generally  were  as  free  from  objectionable  decorations  and  in- 
scriptions as  those  of  similar  classes  to-day.  Naples — as  vile 
as  Pompeii  ever  was — and  hundreds  of  other  towns  have 
sinned  for  ages  undestroyed. 

Pompeii  was  destroyed  by  natural  causes.      It  might  have 


VESUVIUS  AND  POMPEII.  199 

been  ruined  if  the  center  of  all  the  piety  known  to  the  ancient 
world :  or  those  upon  whom  the  ashes  and  lava  of  Vesuvius 
fell  and  slew  them,  think  you  that  they  were  sinners  above  all 
the  men  that  dwelt  in  Italy?  The  voice  of  Him  who  never 
misinterpreted  natural  events  maybe  heard  saying:  "I  tell 
you,  Nay."  The  lesson  of  Pompeii  is  the  simple  lesson  of 
the  uncertainty  of  life. 

Pathetic  indeed  were  the  scenes  revealed  by  the  excava- 
tions. In  the  Villa  Diomedes  is  a  vaulted  cellar.  Eighteen 
bodies  of  women  and  children  who  had  provided  themselves 
with  food  and  gone  down  into  the  vault  were  found,  half- 
buried  in  the  ashes  with  their  heads  wrapped  up.  Near  the 
garden  door  was  the  supposed  proprietor,  with  the  key  in  his 
hand ;  and  beside  him  a  slave  bearing  valuables  and  money. 
In  the  museum  are  "casts  of  bodies  just  as  they  were  found; 
one  of  a  young  girl  with  a  ring  on  her  finger. 

In  one  aspect  Pompeii  is  of  greater  value  than  it  would  have 
been  if  it  had  continued  to  this  day.  In  that  case  it  would 
have  undergone  many  changes,  and,  like  Naples,  would  be 
practically  a  modern  town.  As  it  is,  it  affords  the  means  of 
knowing  what  an  ancient  Roman  town  was.  "  The  earth  with 
faithful  watch  has  hoarded  all."  I  obtained  in  three  hours  a 
clearer  idea  of  old  Roman  domestic  life  than  the  reading  of  a 
lifetime  had  given  me. 


200  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
The  Italian  People. 

Excitability — Vanity — Superstition — Patience — Simplicity  —  Improvement  — 
Ignorance — Loretto — Religious  Relics  and  Alleged  Miracles — Work  of 
Protestants — Opposition  Encountered. 

THE  Italians  are  imaginative,  and  of  extreme  sensibility, 
living  like  players  upon  a  stage,  doing  everything  in  high- 
pitched  dramatic  style.  Their  gestures  are  vehement  and 
numerous,  and  their  demonstrations  graceful,  but  verging  upon 
the  boisterous.  To  music,  art,  etiquette,  display,  they  are 
always  responsive.  They  are  lovers  of  fine  dress,  and  expend 
an  undue  proportion  of  means  upon  it. 

They  are  nearly  as  excitable  as  the  Spaniards,  especially  in 
the  South,  but  differ  from  them  in  not  being  indolent,  as  the 
Italian  cannot  sit  all  day  doing  nothing.  They  are  passionate, 
but  not  so  vindictive  as  is  generally  supposed.  The  terrible 
and  truthful  tales  of  the  Italian  vendetti,  the  typical  assassins 
of  implacable  revenge,  transmitted  from  father  to  son  and  to 
next  of  kin,  continuing  until  one  or  both  of  the  hostile  clans 
are  annihilated,  do  not  apply  to  the  whole  population  any- 
where, nor  does  the  custom  extend  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 

Like  all  people  accustomed  to  display,  they  are  vain,  and 
the  cheap  titles  which  are  so  numerous  contribute  to  and 
stimulate  it.  They  are  not  so  volatile  as  the  French,  and  have 
more  genuineness;  politeness  is  less  a  matter  of  fencing,  or  of 
effort  to  say  the  most  and  to  mean  the  least. 

Superstition  is  common,  oscillating  between  fatalism  and 
credulous  belief  in  signs,  omens,  and  all  sorts  of  supernatural 
fancies,  and  mingling  with  it  is  a  decidedly  irreverent  ten- 
dency. For  example,  the  wine  which  was  offered  to  us  in 
our  visits  to  Vesuvius  and  Pompeii  is  called  Lacrinuz  Christi — 
the  tears  of  Christ. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  some,  I  am  inclined  to  the 
opinion  that  the  Italians  have  a  kind  of  oriental  patience,  and 


THE  ITALIAN  PEOPLE.  201 

are  not  a  specially  turbulent  people.  I  might  go  further  and 
say  that  underneath  their  vehemence  and  the  violence  of 
their  gesticulations  there  is  considerable  genuine  loyalty  to  law. 
A  circumstance  occurred  while  we  were  at  Rome  that  illus- 
trates this  trait.  Large  numbers  of  the  peasantry  had  been 
brought  into  the  city  to  do  certain  work.  The  contractors 
failing  to  keep  them  employed,  they  were  thrown  on  their  own 
resources,  and  suffered  for  want  of  food  until  their  condition 
became  intolerable.  Appealing  in  vain  to  the  government, 
they  rose  and  went  through  the  streets  demolishing  windows, 
and  for  a  few  hours  it  appeared  as  though  Rome  was  at  the 
mercy  of  a  mob.  But  they  did  no  wanton  destruction  beyond 
what  has  been  stated.  Their  object  was  to  draw  the  attention 
of  the  whole  people  to  their  condition,  and  by  their  moder- 
ation, which  would  hardly  have  characterized  a  similar  mob  in 
most  other  nations,  they  excited  sympathy.  Government 
action  was  taken;  many  were  sent  home,  others  employed, 
and  arrangements  made  for  payment. 

Many  things  led  me  to  think  that  the  peasantry  of  Italy 
have  almost  a  childish  simplicity  and  subservience,  from 
which  they  depart  only  under  transient  excitement;  then  their 
passions  are  terrible,  because  like  those  of  children  in  ex- 
citability and  defective  self-control,  and  those  of  men  in 
strength. 

These  comments  are  general.  Among  thirty  millions  of 
Italian  population  are  hundreds  of  thousands  that  might  serve 
as  models  in  every  particular  in  the  points  of  unfavorable  criti- 
cism mentioned.  It  should  be  added  that  improvement  is 
taking  place.  Mr.  Gladstone  has  written  his  impressions  of 
the  difference  between  thirty-nine  years  ago,  the  occasion  of 
his  last  visit,  and  1889,  in  the  Nineteenth  Century,  and,  with- 
out knowing  by  observation  anything  about  what  he  saw  on 
the  former  occasion,  his  representations  of  the  vast  improve- 
ment are  confirmed  by  the  facts.  No  nation  is  improving 
more  rapidly  than  Italy.  The  Italian  quarter  in  New  York 
city  is  worse  than  any  that  I  saw  in  the  country  whence  those 
immigrants  come.  Open-air  life  in  Italy  is  less  favorable  to 
the  accumulation  of  filth  than  the  necessarily  confined  situ- 
ation in  which  are  placed  the  poorer  classes  who  come  to 


2O2  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

the  United  States;  nor  do  we  see  in  this  country  many  of  the 
better  classes  of  the  peasantry. 

Several  conditions  may  be  relied  upon  to  foster  the  spirit  of 
improvement:  the  freedom  of  the  press — wholly  unknown  in 
Italy  until  within  a  few  years— and  the  increasing  circulation 
of  cheap  publications.  So  many  of  these  are  ephemeral  and 
fictitious  that  it  has  been  truthfully  said  that  the  average 
Italian  would  rather  "enjoy  a  fiction  than  know  a  fact."  Others 
are  historical,  geographical,  literary,  hygienic,  and  an  increas- 
ing proportion  of  these  are  bought  by  the  people. 

Notwithstanding  the  just  claim  of  Italy  in  sculpture,  archi- 
tecture, and  painting,  in  music  and  poetry,  and  the  number  of 
universities,  the  immense  majority  of  the  inhabitants  are  very 
ignorant,  and  to  this  day  the  greater  part  remain  without  even 
the  rudiments  of  education.  The  Italian  government  is  mak- 
ing strenuous  efforts  to  improve  the  intellectual  life  of  the 
country.  The  press  is  absolutely  free.  Perhaps  in  no  part  of 
Europe  is  it  more  so.  Unfortunately,  it  is  largely  in  the 
hands  of  freethinkers,  many  of  them  Jews,  so  that  an  infidel 
spirit  is  plainly  discernible  in  most  of  the  papers,  especially 
those  generally  read.  Many  lawyers  and  professional  men 
are  freethinkers,  not  a  few  of  whom,  for  political  purposes, 
remain  in  the  Church.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the 
spirit  of  unbelief  is  rapidly  spreading  among  Italians,  more  par- 
ticularly among  the  men. 

At  Verona  is  exhibited,  for  the  edification  of  the  pious  and 
the  gratification  of  the  curious,  the  skin  of  an  ass.  It  is  af- 
firmed that  this  is  the  skin  of  the  animal  on  which  our  Lord 
rode,  and  that  the  ass,  after  having  had  such  an  illustrious 
rider,  refused  ever  to  bear  another.  He  made  his  way  to 
Venice,  where  he  rang  the  bell  of  a  convent.  As  the  porter 
did  not  recognize  him,  he  kept  on  to  Verona,  and  there  rang 
a  bell,  was  instantly  recognized,  admitted,  lived  a  long  and 
holy  life,  died  in  the  odor  of  sanctity,  and  his  skin  is  preserved 
and  exhibited  as  incontrovertible  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the 
account. 

There  is  a  town  called  Loretto,  fifteen  miles  from  Ancona, 
which  originated  thus  :  The  Empress  Helena,  the  mother  of 
Constantine,  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the  house  of  the  Virgin 


THE  ITALIAN  PEOPLE.  203 

at  Nazareth,  in  the  year  336,  and  built  a  church  over  it. 
The  church  decayed,  and  then  the  Casa  Santa  was  mirac- 
ulously transplanted  by  the  hands  of  angels,  in  1291,  to  a 
point  on  the  coast  of  Dalmatia.  It  remained  there  undis- 
turbed three  years,  when  it  was  transplanted  by  angels,  during 
the  night,  to  the  spot  where  it  now  is,  and  placed  on  the 
ground  of  a  widow  named  Laureta,  where  it  was  inclosed  in  a 
church,  and  a  city  has  sprung  up  around  it.  The  place  con- 
sists principally  of  a  single  long  street,  full  of  booths  for  the 
sale  of  rosaries,  medals,  and  images.  A  half  million  pilgrims 
go  there  annually. 

In  the  Church  of  St.  Paul  Without  the  Walls  I  saw  hun- 
dreds kissing  the  chain  with  which  St.  Paul  was  bound,  and 
afterward  visited  the  Church  of  the  Three  Fountains,  built  at 
the  spot  where  St.  Paul  is  said  to  have  been  executed.  It  is 
claimed  that  when  his  head  was  cut  off  it  made  three  distinct 
leaps,  and  immediately  there  sprang  up  three  fountains.  The 
church  stands  on  the  very  spot,  and  contains  the  springs.  The 
Trappist  monks  having  charge  of  the  place  peddle  rosaries 
and  eucalyptus  liquor  at  ten  cents  a  glass. 

On  the  way  to  the  catacombs  we  entered  a  little  chapel, 
where  a  monk  showed  us  a  marble  slab  on  which  Christ  stood 
and  turned  Peter  back,  when  he  met  him  running  away  from 
Rome.  The  mark  of  our  Lord's  feet  is  there,  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  deep,  imprinted  "as  if  the  cold  pavement  were  a  sod." 
From  the  statue  of  Christ,  near  by,  the  pilgrims  have  kissed 
away  one  foot,  and  notwithstanding  they  possess  the  impress 
of  the  divine,  they  have  restored  in  bronze  the  foot,  and  have 
not  followed  the  sacred  pattern.  In  one  case  the  great  toe 
is  much  longer  than  the  second  toe,  in  the  other  consider- 
ably shorter. 

The  religious  work  done  by  Protestants  is  prosecuted  by 
several  sects,  of  which  the  larger  number  are  of  foreign  ori- 
gin. But  the  Waldensians  stand  first  numerically,  and,  his- 
torically considered,  are  entitled  to  honor  for  their  stanch 
adherence  to  Protestant  principles.  It  is  as  noble  a  chapter 
as  the  annals  of  Christian  heroism  contain.  They  have  more 
than  four  thousand  communicants  in  Italy  proper,  but  are  not 
aggressive.  On  account  of  their  methods  their  rate  of  prog- 


204  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

ress  always  has  been,  and  must  of  necessity  be,  slow.  The 
Free  Church  has  less  than  two  thousand  communicants,  and 
from  the  beginning  has  been  more  a  political  than  a  religious 
movement.  Gavazzi,  their  great  orator  and  patriot,  died 
while  1  was  in  Italy,  and  the  memorial  addresses  and  services 
were  proceeding  in  the  different  cities  during  most  of  my  stay 
HI  the  country.  He  hoped  that  the  Waldensians  and  the  Free 
Church  would  unite,  and  that  the  body  would  take  the  name 
of  the  Evangelical  Church  of  Italy.  Since  the  failure  of  this 
proposition  the  Free  Church  has  made  little  progress.  Be- 
sides these,  there  are  six  hundred  English  and  American  Bap- 
tists, about  fifteen  hundred  Presbyterians,  and  the  English  and 
American  Methodists.  The  Plymouth  Brethren  also  do  a 
limited  work. 

Other  forms  of  Christianity  encounter  immense  difficulties 
in  Italy.  The  poor  Italian  says  within  himself:  "How  can  I 
succeed  if  the  Church  is  against  me  ?  When  I  am  old  who  will 
take  care  of  me  ?  Can  I  die  under  the  ban  of  the  Church,  and 
leave  my  wife  and  children  to  mourn  me  as  a  lost  soul?  Can 
I  be  refused  burial  among  my  ancestors  ? "  Comparatively 
few  are  ready  for  such  a  sacrifice. 


GOING  DOWN  TO  EGYPT.  205 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
Going  Down  to  Egypt. 

Brindisi — Coast  of  Greece — Candia — Gaudo — Coast  of  Egypt — Arriving  in 
Alexandria — Pharos — View  of  City  and  Harbor  from  the  Base  of  Pompey's 
Pillar — Site  of  Cleopatra's  Needles — Journey  to  Cairo. 

AT  Naples  our  party  of  two  became  three  by  the  addition  of 
an  old  friend,  Dr.  C.  F.  P.  Bancroft,  Principal  of  Phillips  An- 
dover  Academy,  Massachusetts,  who,  in  accordance  with  pre- 
vious arrangements,  joined  us  there.  Rising  at  daylight  on 
the  second  of  February,  we  rode  several  hundred  miles  over 
mountains  and  plains,  through  olive  orchards,  tunnels,  among 
aqueducts,  impressive  ruins,  and  in  sight  of  villages  situated 
high  on  mountain  sides,  flourishing  towns,  populous  cities, 
castles,  cathedrals,  battlefields,  which  kept  eye  and  mind  busy 
through  the  long  day,  until,  in  the  shades  of  evening,  we 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  Adriatic  as  we  rolled  into  the  station 
of  Brindisi,  where  we  spent  a  quiet  Sabbath.  The  chief  relics 
of  antiquity  are  near  the  hotel,  and  consist  of  a  high  column  of 
Greek  marble,  with  an  ornate  capital,  and  the  remains  of  an- 
other pillar. 

On  the  morning  of  February  4  we  sailed  for  Egypt  on  the 
Peninsular  and  Oriental'  steamship  Hydaspes.  One  half  the 
passengers  were  English,  one  third  American,  and  the 
remainder  of  different  nationalities.  Early  the  next  morning 
the  coast  of  Greece  appeared,  and  we  ran  within  sight  of 
it  for  twenty-four  hours.  The  irregular  masses  of  the  Morea 
first  burst  upon  our  vision,  and  beyond  them  the  lofty  moun- 
tains of  Arcadia. 

Some  of  the  passengers  claimed  to  identify  Mount  St.  Elias, 
the  highest  point  in  the  Morea;  but  while  they  dogmatized  I 
doubted,  as  its  appearance  would  overthrow  all  the  geogra- 
phies in  the  world.  We  sailed  so  close  to  Navarino,  where 
was  fought  the  great  battle  between  Ibrahim  Pasha  and  the 
allied  forces  of  England,  France,  and  Russia,  which  was 


206  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

undoubtedly  preliminary  and  essential  to  the  independence  of 
Greece,  that  we  could  have  followed  the  evolutions  of  a  regi- 
ment with  the  naked  eye. 

For  hours  we  were  within  sight  of  Candia  (ancient  Crete). 
An  old  traveler  familiar  with  the  island  assured  us  that  St. 
Paul's  words  concerning  the  Cretans,  which  he  quotes  from 
one  of  their  own  writers,  "  The  Cretans  are  always  liars,  evil 
beasts,  slow  bellies,"  are  as  true  of  the  people  now  as  then. 
The  island  belongs  to  Turkey,  but  three  fourths  of  the  popu- 
lation are  Greek  and  belong  to  the  Greek  Church. 

Luke's  account  of  his  voyage  with  Paul  along  the  same  coasts 
says  that  they  meant  to  winter  in  one  of  the  ports  of  Crete,  and 
thought  they  could  do  so,  owing  to  favorable  winds,  "  but  not 
long  after  there  arose  against  it  a  tempestuous  wind,  called 
Euroclydon.  And  when  the  ship  was  caught,  and  could 
not  bear  up,  .  .  .  running  under  a  certain  island  which  is 
called  Clauda,  we  had  much  work  to  come  by  the  boat." 
Clauda  (Gaudo)  now  has  a  revolving  light,  which  stands  on 
the  summit  of  the  island  eleven  hundred  and  eighty-one  feet 
above  the  sea.  We  saw  this  light,  which  flashes  once  a  minute, 
at  a  distance  of  twenty  miles. 

After  four  days  of  fine  weather  and  smooth  seas,  the  long 
sandy  coast  of  Egypt  appeared  about  daybreak  in  dim  outline. 
In  the  best  light  the  highest  parts  only  are  visible  eighteen 
miles  away,  but  the  general  coast  line  cannot  be  seen  until  the 
vessel  is  within  twelve  or  fourteen  miles.  The  passengers 
were  all  on  deck,  and  soon  were  seen  the  breakwater,  with 
its  lighthouse,  the  forts,  the  ruined  palace  of  Said  Pasha,  the 
quarries  from  which  the  stone  was  brought  to  construct  the 
breakwater,  stretching  away  to  the  westward  until  those  are 
reached  from  which  the  stone  was  taken  to  build  the  ancient 
city.  The  cove  was  pointed  out  near  which  Napoleon  landed 
his  troops  July  i,  1798,  in  order  to  march  on  Alexandria. 
Ships  now  go  up  to  the  pier,  and  no  such  difficulties  with 
boatmen  as  former  travelers  complained  of  were  experienced 
by  us. 

I  was  landing  in  Egypt,  "  the  cradle  of  history  and  of  human 
culture,"  of  which  Herodotus,  in  words  which  have  been  used 
a  thousand  times  to  introduce  books,  essays,  letters,  and  lee- 


GOING  DOWN  TO  EGYPT.  207 

tures  upon  Egypt,  said  four  hundred  and  fifty-six  years  before 
Christ:  "  It  contains  more  wonders  than  any  other  land,  and 
is  prominent  above  all  the  countries  in  the  world  for  works 
that  one  can  hardly  describe."  When  General  Grant,  after  his 
tour  around  the  world,  met  Andrew  D.  White,  ex-President 
of  Cornell  University,  he  said  to  him:  "After  Egypt  there  is 
nothing." 

I  was  also  in  Alexandria,  a  name  which  causes  one  to  think 
of  him  who  founded  it  to  be  the  emporium  of  the  world;  of  its 
rapid  prosperity  as  a  commercial  center  through  which  "the 
lucrative  trade  of  Arabia  and  India  flowed  to  the  capital  and 
provinces  of  the  empire ; "  of  its  schools,  its  grammarians, 
philosophers,  astronomers,  physicians,  poets,  orators.  In 
Alexandria  the  Septuagint  was  made,  and  to  its  museum  and 
libraries  students  flocked  from  every  land.  Alexandria  was  not 
only  the  chief  factor  in  the  world's  early  intellectual  growth; 
it  was  historically  related  to  the  development  of  Christianity 
as  no  other  city.  It  was  because  of  the  dispute  between  Alex- 
ander, the  patriarch  of  Alexandria,  and  Arius,  that  the  Council 
of  Nice  was  convened,  which  settled  for  the  orthodox  Church 
the  doctrine  of  the  deity  of  Jesus  Christ.  Athanasius  here 
fulfilled  the  order  of  his  course  as  a  deacon,  and  after  he  had 
persuaded  the  Council  of  Nice  by  his  eloquence,  entered  upon 
a  stormy  career  as  bishop,  and  here,  after  being  deposed,  ban- 
ished, and  restored  several  times,  he  died  in  peace. 

From  having  sunk  to  a  population  of  five  thousand  Alex- 
andria has  of  late  years  increased  to  a  quarter  of  a  million  and 
again  become  important.  The  ruins  are  so  few  and  accessible 
that  there  is  nothing  to  detain  the  traveler  long.  The  site  of 
the  ancient  Pharos,  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world, 
claims  the  first  place,  though  no  ruins  remain.  It  was  a  light- 
house constructed  of  white  marble,  several  stories  high,  each 
successive  story  diminished  in  size,  and  having  a  gallery 
around  it  supported  on  the  outer  circle  of  the  story  beneath. 
Near  the  spot  is  a  castle  now  known  as  Fort  Pharos.  Pom- 
pey's  Pillar  is  of  beautiful  red  granite,  and  stands  on  a 
height  whose  name  is  derived  from  the  Roman  Prefect  Pom- 
peius,  who  erected  it  in  honor  of  Diocletian. 

A  fine  view  of  the  city  and  harbor  is  obtained  from  the  base 


208  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

of  the  monument,  which  was  probably  the  highest  ground  in 
the  ancient  city.  Near  it  is  a  Mohammedan  cemetery,  and  we 
met  two  long  funeral  processions.  There  seemed  a  solemnity 
and  a  weirdness  not  unmingled  with  pathos  in  the  monotonous 
chants  and  wailings  of  the  mourners,  who  elevated  above 
their  heads  the  uncoffined  body  upon  a  kind  of  bier,  and  passed 
along  seemingly  oblivious  of  their  surroundings.  We  rever- 
ently took  off  our  hats,  but  noticed  that  the  passing  Egyptians 
paid  no  attention  to  the  ceremonies.  Funerals  are  so  numer- 
ous in  all  the  cities  of  Egypt  as  to  suggest  the  prevalence  of 
an  epidemic;  men  come  to  regard  them  as  ordinary  scenes. 

We  made  a  journey  to  the  site  formerly  occupied  by  Cleo- 
patra's Needles,  but  did  not  see  them,  for  the  sufficient 
reason  that  one  is  in  London,  and  the  other  in  Central  Park, 
in  the  city  of  New  York.  Originally  they  were  erected  at 
Heliopolis,  and  were  transported  to  Alexandria  in  the  eighth 
year  of  Augustus.  In  the  year  1800  one  was  standing,  and 
the  other  fallen.  The  latter  was  given  to  the  English  by 
Mohammed  Ali,  but  was  not  moved  till  1877,  when  the  late 
Professor  Erasmus  Wilson  and  another  gentleman  furnished 
the  money.  It  was  encased  in  an  iron  cylinder  and  rolled  into 
the  sea,  fitted  up  with  a  rudder,  deck  house,  and  cabin,  named 
the  Cleopatra,  and  taken  in  tow  by  a  steamer.  Encoun- 
tering many  storms,  it  was  abandoned  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay, 
but  was  finally  found,  towed  to  London,  and  in  October,  1878, 
set  up  on  the  Thames  embankment.  The  other  was  presented 
to  the  government  of  the  United  States  by  Ismail  Pasha,  and 
was  erected  in  Central  Park  January  22,  1881. 

An  English  writer  thus  speaks  of  the  removal  of  these  mon- 
uments: "Some  may  be  of  opinion  that  it  would  have  been 
a  more  noble  monument  to  England  had  this  buried  obelisk 
been  reerected  beside  its  fellow  on  its  native  soil;  but  few  will 
hesitate  to  stamp  as  sacrilege  the  removal  of  the  remaining  one 
from  the  place  where  it  had  so  long  stood  and  its  transport  to 
the  United  States."  Here  in  perfection  is  the  art  of  putting 
things!  If  the  removal  of  most  of  the  many  remains  of  an- 
tiquity from  their  original  sites  for  purposes  of  science  or 
ornamentation  or  popular  interest  is  to  be  branded  as  sacrilege, 
there  is  scarce  an  ancient  temple  or  mediaeval  structure  that 


GOING  DOWN  TO  EGYPT.  209 

ought  not  to  have  the  word  fraud  inscribed  upon  it,  and  that 
noble  institution,  the  British  Museum,  which  has  done  so  much 
for  the  education  of  the  modern  world,  should  be  entitled 
"The  Depository  of  the  Results  of  Sacrilegious  Plunder." 
Egypt  has  ruins  enough  and  to  spare,  though  the  present 
jealousy  of  foreign  explorers  and  travelers  can  be  trusted  to 
protect  all  existing  remains  of  importance. 

Toward  evening  we  left  the  city  by  the  express  train  for 
Cairo,  distant  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  miles. 

Around  Alexandria  are  well-cultivated  gardens,  and  the 
whole  country,  profusely  irrigated,  appears  fruitful  and  flour- 
ishing. •  Long  lines  of  camels  could  be  seen  on  the  banks  of 
the  canal  and  of  the  Nile,  and  processions  of  donkeys  heavily 
laden.  The  most  diverting  of  these  scenes  was  a  string  of 
twenty  camels  tied  together,  preceded  by  a  diminutive  donkey 
which  piloted  the  procession,  as  a  steam  tug  sometimes  takes 
out  to  sea  an  ocean  steamer  a  hundred  times  larger  than 
itself.  Cotton  fields;  wide  expanses  of  grass;  distant  villages, 
built  of  mud  and  placed  on  heights  to  escape  the  annual 
floods,  surrounded  by  palms,  minarets  gracefully  rising  above 
them;  hundreds  of  men,  women,  and  children  on  foot;  crowds 
in  picturesque  costumes  at  all  the  stations,  made  a  splendid 
panorama  which  introduced  to  us  Egyptian  life  and  manners. 

At  length  the  walls  of  Cairo  appeared,  and  soon  the  train  shot 
into  the  station.  The  railroad  over  which  we  traveled  was  the 
first  built  in  the  Orient,  and  dates  from  1855.  The  great 
Stephenson  was  the  engineer,  and  it  was  his  plan  by  this  road, 
together  with  an  extension  from  Cairo  to  Suez,  to  meet  the 
commercial  needs  which  the  Suez  Canal  effectually  supplies. 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Cairo— The  "Mother  of  the  World,"  and  Heliopolis. 

Strange  Scenes — Citadel  and  Mosque  of  Mohammed  Ali — Mosque  of  Sultan 
Hassan — Mosque  of  Amer  at  Old  Cairo — Island  of  Roda — Nilometer — 
Palace  of  Gezireh  and  of  tlie  Khedive — The  Only  Egyptian  Lunatic  Asylum 
— Virgin's  Tree — Heliopolis — Ostrich  Farm. 

As  soon  as  possible  we  plunged  into  the  street  and  were 
absorbed  in  the  ceaseless  crowd.  The  streets  are  narrow  and 
irregular,  and  of  sidewalks  there  are  none  worthy  the  name  in 
the  principal  Arab  quarters.  Donkeys  and  camels  without 
number  are  forcing  their  way  through.  Different  races  of  men, 
with  their  costumes  and  cries,  move  in  and  out;  a  wild  mas- 
querade dance  is  the  only  figure  of  speech  which  will  convey 
any  idea  of  the  scene.  Loud,  hoarse,  and  dissonant  yells  in 
languages  unlike  those  of  Europe,  threaten  with  rupture  the 
tympanum  of  every  foreign  ear. 

The  barber  shops  are  open  to  the  street,  and  in  the  course  of 
a  few  hours'  walk  a  hundred  barbers  could  be  seen  rapidly 
shaving  the  heads  of  their  customers.  Men  run  in  advance  of 
coaches  and  by  the  side  of  donkeys.  With  these  are  mingled 
camels,  whose  drivers  are  constantly  yelling  to  persons  to  get 
out  of  the  way.  They  specify  the  part  of  the  body  in  danger 
of  collision,  uttering,  in  Arabic,  such  directions  as,  "Your  left 
side,"  "Your  right  side,  girl,"  "Your  back,  lady."  Water 
carriers  work  their  way  about,  a  few  selling  the  water,  but  the 
majority  giving  it,  being  paid  by  some  one  who  tells  them  to 
do  so.  They  utter  cries  equivalent  to  "  May  God  recompense 
me!"  When  they  are  accompanied  by  their  employers  they 
ejaculate,  "God  forgive  thy  sins!"  Instead  of  calling  the 
names  of  their  vegetables,  those  who  sell  them  use  such 
expressions  as,  "God  will  make  thee  light,  O  lemons!" 
meaning  that  he  will  make  the  baskets  that  hold  them  light. 
Wandering  cooks  go  about  setting  up  their  kitchens  any- 
where, and  cook  fish,  puddings,  and  whatever  they  have. 


CAIRO  AND  HELIOPOLIS.  211 

while  their  customers  sit  crosslegged  along  the  side  of  the 
street. 

Nearly  all  the  mechanics  work  with  doors  and  windows 
open,  and  many  of  them  in  the  street.  It  is  surprising 
to  see  what  excellent  work  is  done  with  primitive  tools. 
Auctioneers  run  to  and  fro,  calling  out  their  wares  and  the 
last  bids.  Peddlers  carry  tables  on  their  heads  and  set  them 
up  wherever  they  fancy.  All  is  done  in  the  best  of  humor, 
but  with  excessive  voice  and  gesture.  The  vender  of 
roses  cries,  "The  rose  was  a  thorn,  but  the  sweat  of  the 
Prophet  caused  it  to  blossom. "  Beggars  add  to  the  confusion 
by  screaming,  "I  am  the  guest  of  God  and  the  Prophet;" 
and  toward  night,  "  My  supper  must  be  thy  gift,  O  Lord." 
Here  and  there  are  rings  of  spectators  witnessing  feats  of 
legerdemain. 

Amid  all  this  a  funeral  procession  may  come,  pushing  its 
way  through,  preceded  by  camels  bearing  bread  and  water  to 
give  to  the  poor  at  the  tomb,  though  this  is  not  done  when 
the  deceased  was  poor.  Singers  follow  chanting  the  usual 
formulas,  then  friends,  and  finally  the  promiscuous  crowds. 
An  astonishing  snapping  of  whips  goes  on  continually. 
Some  sound  almost  as  loud  as  pistol  shots,  and  every  one  who 
has  a  whip  does  his  best  to  make  the  loudest  possible  crack. 
The  ordinary  method  of  traveling  about  the  city  is  upon 
donkeys.  The  person  who  hires  a  donkey  mounts  it,  and  the 
donkey  boy  runs  by  his  side,  never  appearing  in  the  least  de- 
gree weary. 

These  are  but  a  few,  taken  almost  at  random,  of  the  elements 
of  the  confusion.  I  should  certainly  have  lost  my  head  if  I 
had  not  previously  visited  the  stock  exchanges  in  New  York, 
London,  Paris,  and  Hamburg.  Unmoved  amid  all  this  are 
hundreds,  sitting  in  the  doors  of  the  coffee  houses,  drinking 
coffee,  or  smoking  peculiar  pipes  that  have  contrivances  for 
the  smoke  to  pass  through  water,  and  afterward  to  be  drawn 
through  tubes  from  six  to  ten  feet  in  length.  These  loiterers 
look  as  serene  as  if  upon  the  shady  bank  of  a  stream  on 
a  midsummer's  day. 

Above  the  uproar,  at   certain  hours,   the  cry  of  the  muez- 
zin, from  the  minarets  of  the  hundreds  of  mosques,  falls  upon 
12 


212  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

the  ear,  calling  the  people  to  prayer,  and  the  majority 
respond;  but  few  minutes  are  devoted  to  the  act.  In  the 
bazaars  many  a  dealer  who  does  not  happen  to  have  a  cus- 
tomer can  be  seen  reading  the  Koran.  The  crowd  rushes  by, 
and  this  man  sits  crosslegged,  not  more  than  three  feet  from 
it,  entirely  absorbed  in  his  devotional  book,  but  is  ready  at 
a  second's  notice  to  drop  it,  his  abstracted  look  disappearing, 
and  a  keen  eye  for  a  bargain  taking  its  place. 

Turbans  are  quite  a  study.  While  Arabs  from  the  earliest 
times  have  distinguished  their  religious  divisions,  families,  and 
tribal  connections  by  the  color  of  their  turbans,  it  is  now  im- 
possible to  decide  absolutely  upon  any  general  principle.  The 
descendants  of  the  Prophet,  called  Sherifs,  wear  green  turbans, 
but  they  are  now  frequently  worn  by  pilgrims  to  Mecca.  Schol- 
ars and  priests  generally  wear  wide  turbans  of  light  color,  and 
non-Mohammedans  generally  wear  dark  turbans;  the  Copts 
adopt  the  blue,  and  the  Jews  the  yellow  color;  but  even  this, 
though  dating  from  a  decree  four  hundred  years  old,  is  no 
longer  a  certain  method  of  identifying  the  wearer.  It  is  stated 
that  an  orthodox  turban  worn  by  a  Mohammedan  is  seven 
times  as  long  as  his  head,  so  that  it  can  be  used  as  his  winding 
sheet,  and  that  wearing  it  may  remind  him  of  his  mortality. 

The  crowds  that  fill  the  streets  where  business  is  done  would 
deceive  a  stranger  as  to  the  population  of  the  city.  When 
one  steps  out  of  these  streets  he  finds  few  people  during 
business  hours;  the  women  are  in  their  houses,  the  men  gone 
to  their  places  of  trade.  In  the  middle  of  the  day,  if  it  is  at 
all  warm,  traffic  ceases  as  if  by  magic;  but  about  two  o'clock, 
the  siesta  being  finished,  the  rush  begins  and  continues  until 
late  in  the  afternoon.  These  scenes  never  palled  nor  grew 
monotonous  during  our  various  visits  to  Cairo. 

Having  spent  the  first  morning  in  the  street,  we  went  in 
the  afternoon  to  the  Citadel  and  the  Mosque  of  Mohammed 
Ali,  passing  through  the  Ezbekiyeh,  the  finest  public  garden  in 
the  city.  The  citadel  was  built  by  the  great  Salaheddin,  the 
site  said  to  be  selected  merely  because  it  was  found  that  meat 
would  keep  fresh  twice  as  long  there  as  anywhere  else.  From 
it  one  has  a  view  of  the  city,  the  desert,  the  distant  Pyra- 
mids, "  the  City  of  the  Tombs,"  the  Nile,  and  the  plains  that 


CAIRO  AND  HELIOPOLIS.  213 

neither  words  nor  pencil  can  worthily  present.  Harriet  Mar- 
tineau  says:  "I  would  entreat  any  stranger  to  see  this  view 
first  in  the  evening  before  sunset."  We  saw  it  at  this  hour. 
She  says  that  the  city  "  looks  a  perfect  wilderness  of  flat  roofs, 
cupolas,  minarets,  and  palm  tops,  .  .  .  speaks  of  the  fawn- 
colored  domes  of  the  City  of  Tombs  rising  against  the  some- 
what darker  sand  of  the  desert,  and  the  river  gleaming  and 
winding  away  from  the  dim  south  into  the  blue  distance  of  the 
north,  the  green  strips  of  cultivation  on  its  banks  delighting 
the  eye  amid  the  yellow  sands."  Two  mosques  are  connected 
with  the  citadel — the  old  mosque,  now  disused,  and  the  Mosque 
of  Mohammed  AH.  The  day  was  Friday,  and  after  explor- 
ing the  Mosque  of  Mohammed  Ali  we  were  obliged  to  retire 
on  account  of  the  approach  of  the  hour  of  prayer,  but  had  the 
opportunity  of  looking  in  at  the  windows. 

On  this  hill,  March  i,  1811,  the  famous  order  of  Mamelukes 
was  extinguished  by  a  massacre  ordered  by  Mohammed  Ali; 
he  had  grown  weary  of  their  schemes  against  his  authority, 
arranged  for  their  massacre,  and  invited  them  to  a  reception. 
They  were  at  that  time  the  finest  cavalry  in  the  world,  and  did 
not  suspect  their  fate.  When  they  entered  the  fortification,  as 
the  portcullis  fell  behind  the  last,  they  saw  their  danger;  four 
hundred  and  sixty  of  them  and  eight  hundred  more  in  the  city 
were  slaughtered. 

The  Mosque  of  Sultan  Hassan  is  considered  the  finest  in 
Cairo,  and  one  of  the  most  superb  monuments  of  Mohammed- 
an architecture.  It  is  in  a  somewhat  dilapidated  condition, 
but  evidences  of  its  former  grandeur  are  not  lacking.  It  is 
built  of  blocks  brought  from  the  Pyramids.  It  has  oftentimes 
served  as  a  fortress,  and  in  one  spot  is  a  dark  stain  of  blood, 
of  which  the  legend  says  that  the  Sultan  slew  with  his  own 
hand  his  unfaithful  prime  minister.  A  gloomy  grandeur 
relieved  only  by  the  graceful  minaret  and  the  majestic  arch  is 
its  chief  characteristic. 

There  are  about  two  hundred  and  seventy  mosques  in  Cairo, 
and  more  than  two  hundred  chapels.  In  general  terms, 
whether  ancient  Mameluke  or  Turkish,  they  consist  of  open 
courts,  of  a  broad  niche  in  the  wall  looking  toward  Mecca,  a 
stone  or  wooden  pulpit,  a  platform,  a  portico,  a  desk  for  the 


214  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Koran,  a  tank  for  washing,  a  canopy  supported  by  columns,  a 
dome,  a  mausoleum,  a  minaret,  and  a  tower  resembling  it,  but 
not  having  balconies.  Of  the  oldest  style  the  Mosque  of  Amer 
at  Old  Cairo  is  a  conspicuous  example.  We  went  to  see  it,  on  the 
way  passing  the  aqueduct.  It  is  held  to  be  the  most  ancient 
mosque  in  Egypt,  is  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  square,  and 
shows  the  original  mosque  plan,  never  having  been  a  church. 
At  the  entrance  is  a  single  line  of  columns,  at  the  sides 
three  deep,  and  at  the  end  six  deep,  amounting  to  nearly  two 
hundred  and  fifty.  One  of  the  columns  is  said  to  have  come 
there  miraculously  from  Mecca.  In  one  corner  is  the  tomb  of 
the  founder,  and  in  another  a  spring.  The  more  superstitious 
Mussulmans  think  that  this  spring  communicates  with  the 
holy  well  at  Mecca,  and  state  in  proof  that  a  pilgrim  lost  a 
ring  in  that  well  in  Mecca,  and  afterward  found  it  in  this 
spring.  This  mosque  in  1808  witnessed  an  extraordinary  scene. 
At  the  usual  time  of  the  rising  of  the  Nile  it  began  to  fall. 
The  whole  land  was  filled  with  dismay,  and  all  the  Moham- 
medan priesthood,  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  Coptic  clergy,  in 
fact,  the  clergy  of  every  Christian  sect,  and  all  the  Jewish 
rabbis  in  Cairo  assembled  in  this  ancient  mosque  to  pray  for 
the  rise  of  the  water.  Though  the  water  rose,  this  union 
under  stress  did  not  destroy  their  ancestral  hatred  of  each 
other. 

The  island  of  Roda  lies  opposite  Old  Cairo,  being  separated 
from  it  by  a  narrow  branch  of  the  Nile.  The  Arabs  declare 
it  to  be  the  site  of  the  finding  of  Moses  by  Pharaoh's  daughter; 
accordingly  a  beautiful  palm  on  the  island  is  called  Moses' 
Tree.  When  the  Nile  rises  to  an  unusual  height  the  whole 
island  is  under  water  and  boats  sail  across  it. 

The  Nilometer  is  a  square  chamber  having  a  graduated 
pillar  that  rises  from  the  bottom  to  the  top.  The  scale  meas- 
ures seventeen  cubits,  each  twenty-seven  and  seven  sixteenths 
of  an  inch  long,  but  the  regular  cubit  as  now  used  in  Cairo  is 
only  fourteen  and  one  fourth.  This  Nilometer  is  supposed  to 
have  existed  more  than  a  thousand  years.  When  we  were 
there  it  showed  the  river  to  be  within  two  feet  of  the  lowest 
point,  a  fact  of  which  we  afterward  had  a  very  unpleasant 
demonstration.  When  the  Nile  begins  to  rise  the  fact  is  pro- 


CAIRO  AND  HELIOPOLIS.  215 

claimed  about  the  streets  of  Cairo  by  criers,  each  of  whom  has 
his  district.  It  generally  rises  from  twenty-one  to  twenty-six 
feet.  It  has  been  charged  that  the  government  sometimes 
"doctors  the  returns"  in  order  to  make  plausible  reasons  for 
additional  taxation. 

We  were  exceedingly  fortunate  in  the  courier  obtained  for 
Cairo  and  vicinity.  His  name  was  Mohammed  Abdel  Rah- 
man, and  he  proved  the  most  competent  conductor  we  found  in 
all  the  East.  Making  no  pretense  beyond  his  knowledge,  using 
few  words,  never  obtruding  nor  contradicting,  he  was,  what 
few  professional  guides  are  able  or  willing  to  be,  silent  when 
he  saw  that  we  were  observing,  conversing,  or  meditating. 

Cairo  has  numerous  palaces  besides  other  immense  edifices, 
now  devoted  to  other  purposes,  formerly  occupied  by  different 
Khedives,  or  built  for  members  of  their  families,  wives,  or 
concubines.  We  visited  the  palace  of  Gezireh,  a  building  in- 
ternally attractive;  the  furniture  consists  in  part  of  articles 
exhibited  at  the  Paris  Exhibition  in  1867.  The  rooms  are 
shown  which  were  occupied  by  the  Empress  Eugenie  when  the 
Suez  Canal  was  opened,  and  afterward  by  the  Emperor  of 
Austria;  the  blue  room  was  elegantly  upholstered  from  floor 
to  ceiling  in  blue  satin  embroidered  with  gold. 

We  also  went  to  the  palace  occupied  by  the  Khedive,  and 
waited  an  hour  to  see  him  come  forth  for  his  afternoon  drive. 
While  his  escorts  were  gaudily  dressed  and  blazed  with  gilt 
and  silk,  and  the  runners  with  the  carriage  wore  a  uniform 
which  rivaled  the  fantastic  decorations  of  wandering  acrobats, 
and  would  set  the  urchins  of  an  American  city  wild,  the  Khe- 
dive was  so  plainly  attired  that  he  would  have  attracted  no 
attention  if  walking  in  a  European  city. 

Some  of  our  friends  were  invited  to  dine  with  him.  Dinner 
was  served  at  half  past  seven.  The  guests  assembled  at  the 
palace  and  were  ushered  into  a  small  reception  room,  when 
the  consul  of  the  United  States  and  the  chamberlains  escorted 
the  ladies  up  the  grand  staircase,  passing  between  lines  of 
soldiers  on  each  side  of  the  vestibule.  The  hall  was  decorated 
with  tropical  plants,  and  the  palace  brilliantly  lighted.  The 
Khedive  received  in  his  grand  salon,  in  a  cordial  and  easy 
manner,  conversed  with  each  separately,  and  never  sat  for  an 


216  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

instant  except  at  dinner.  There  were  twenty-two  guests. 
The  band  was  so  far  removed  as  not  to  interfere  with  conver- 
sation, and,  in  compliment  to  the  Americans,  the  first  selec- 
tion which  was  played  when  they  entered  the  dining  room  was 
"Yankee  Doodle."  There  were  several  American  dishes. 
The  centerpiece  for  the  table  was  a  bed  of  roses  and  other 
flowers  grown  in  the  open  air,  though  this  was  the  month  of 
January.  There  was  nothing  Egyptian  about  the  palace  or 
the  menu. 

The  Khedive  was  about  thirty-five  years  old,  and  fine  look- 
ing. He  spoke  English  and  French,  drank  only  water, 
and  did  not  smoke;  but  three  kinds  of  wine  were  served  for 
his  guests.  At  the  dinner  his  dress  was  the  same  as  that  of 
the  other  gentlemen.  He  wore  no  medals,  nor  was  there  any- 
thing to  indicate  that  he  was  other  than  an  ordinary  person- 
age. When  the  guests  returned  to  the  salon  coffee  was  served 
in  Turkish  cups,  the  holders  being  of  solid  gold  studded  with 
diamonds. 

The  modern  palaces  in  Cairo  are  thoroughly  European. 
The  Museum  of  Arabic  Antiquities  is  a  valuable  and  instruct- 
ive collection  of  treasures  of  Arab  art.  The  ancient  mosque 
chandeliers,  magnificent  brass  tables,  an  extensive  collection 
of  brass  lamps,  some  of  the  finest  of  which  were  made  for  the 
Mosque  of  Sultan  Hassan,  give  the  best  view  of  the  proficiency 
of  the  Arabs  in  special  work.  The  name  of  Sultan  Hassan  is 
wrought  in  colored  transparent  letters  on  a  light  ground  in  the 
lamps.  The  Arabs  place  a  high  value  upon  manuscripts, 
everything  connected  with  them  and  their  preservation;  this 
museum  contains  carved  ivory  bookstands  divided  into  sec- 
tions; certain  of  the  doors  are  inlaid  with  ivory. 

There  is  but  one  lunatic  asylum  in  Egypt.  To  that  is  de- 
voted a  building  formerly  a  palace,  which,  with  its  surround- 
ing gardens,  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  purpose.  I  spent  an 
afternoon  there,  and  was  courteously  received  by  Dr.  Abbas, 
the  superintendent.  Up  to  comparatively  recent  date  the 
Mohammedans  did  not  regard  insanity  a  disease  so  much  as  a 
proof  of  divine  inspiration.  Lunatics  were  allowed  to  do  al- 
most what  they  pleased:  to  run  naked  through  the  streets,  to 
assault  persons;  and  not  until  their  actions  became  dangerous 


CAIRO  AND  HELIOPOLIS.  217 

to  human  life  were  they  restrained.  This  was  traced  to  the  early 
notions  of  the  Christians,  who  believed  all  lunatics  inspired 
by  God  or  possessed  of  the  devil.  Forty  years  ago  the  few  in- 
sane persons  and  idiots  whom  it  was  found  necessary  to  restrain 
were  left  in  dungeons,  excavations,  or  mud  huts,  in  squalor  and 
wretchedness  indescribable.  Dr.  Abbas  is  an  Egyptian,  but 
highly  educated,  having  studied  in  Paris,  and  evidences  of  his 
familiarity  with  the  approved  methods  of  treating  the  insane 
were  obvious.  Not  a  picture  or  a  book  was  visible  in  any  of 
the  rooms  occupied  by  the  patients.  Everything  was  scrupu- 
lously clean,  and  as  no  artificial  heat  is  requisite  at  any  season 
of  the  year,  the  ventilation  was  perfect. 

It  was  not  to  gaze  upon  lunatics  that  I  visited  this  institu- 
tion, but  to  ascertain  what  are  the  principal  causes  of  mental 
derangement  among  the  orientals.  Many  exhibit  there,  as 
elsewhere,  a  mere  degeneration  of  stock.  Their  parents  were 
feeble-minded,  and  by  sinking  one  degree  in  the  scale,  they 
become  non  compos  mentis.  Others  had  been  made  insane  by 
bereavement,  loss  of  property,  persecution,  domestic  trouble. 
The  influence  of  the  climate  had  affected  some,  but  others 
were  children  of  the  best  families,  made  lunatics  by  disease  or 
vice.  The  evil  habits  which  in  Europe  and  America  send  so 
many  to  asylums  are  equally  potent  there;  but  the  number 
insane  from  the  use  of  alcohol  is,  relatively,  very  small. 

The  Mohammedans  are  forbidden  to  drink  wine  or  liquors, 
and  while  a  small  proportion  do,  the  majority  do  not,  or  to  a 
slight  extent  only,  so  that  the  doleful  spectacle  of  a  large 
number  of  dipsomaniacs,  and  of  persons  whose  insanity  was 
primarily  caused  by  excessive  use  of  alcohol,  was  not  pre- 
sented to  us  here. 

Opium,  however,  had  many  more  victims  than  we  find  in  the 
United  States;  for  the  Mohammedans  have  endeavored  to 
circumvent  the  prohibition  of  wine  by  addicting  themselves  to 
other  means  of  producing  intoxication  or  pleasurable  excite- 
ment. They  compound  various  mixtures  of  opium  with  other 
drugs,  in  such  a  way  that  one  combination  will  cause  the  user 
to  sing,  another  will  set  him  to  talking,  a  third  to  dancing, 
etc.  The  use  of  opium  is  not  as  common  in  Egypt  as  in  coun- 
tries farther  east. 


218  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

We  saw  two  wards  filled  with  victims  of  hasheesh,  and  the 
superintendent  stated  that  it  causes  more  lunacy  in  Egypt 
than  opium  and  alcohol  united.  Hasheesh,  a  preparation  of 
hemp  similar  to  Cannabis  indica,  has  been  used  from  very  ancient 
times.  Herodotus  speaks  of  it,  and  says  that  the  Scythians 
intoxicated  themselves  in  their  religious  ceremonies  with  the 
fumes  of  burning  seeds  of  the  plant.  Lane  traces  it  through 
India  and  Persia,  and  finds  it  in  Egypt  before  the  middle  of 
the  thirteenth  century  of  the  Christian  era. 

When  it  is  smoked  the  leaves  are  used  alone  or  mixed  with 
tobacco.  The  intoxicating  preparations  are  made  by  employ- 
ing the  capsules  without  the  seeds  mixed  with  various  sub- 
stances. Hasheesh  can  be  obtained  at  various  coffee  shops, 
and  there  are  others  which  sell  nothing  but  this  and  other  in- 
toxicating preparations.  Men  become  very  drunk  upon  hash- 
eesh, and  are  frequently  violent,  and  the  doctor  stated  that 
insanity  produced  by  it  is  difficult  to  cure,  generally  passing  on 
to  complete  dementia. 

Our  word  assassin  is  derived  from  this  word,  noisy  and  riot- 
ous being  called  in  the  East  hashskasheen.  This  name  was 
first  applied  to  Arab  warriors  in  Syria  during  the  Crusades,  as 
they  used  this  drug  both  to  render  their  enemies  insensible 
and  to  excite  those  appointed  to  slay  them. 

The  only  disagreeable  circumstance  in  our  visit  to  the  asylum 
was  observation  of  the  inadequate  provisions  for  women.  In- 
stead of  separate  rooms  or  wards,  they  are  in  one  hall ;  all 
grades  of  insanity  being  in  the  same  room.  As  I  entered,  a 
woman  sprang  from  her  bed,  flew  across  the  room  almost  with 
the  rapidity  of  the  wind,  prostrated  herself,  and  before 
the  attendants  could  restrain  her  seized  me  by  the  foot. 
The  poor  creature  was  trying  to  kiss  my  foot,  according  to 
the  oriental  custom,  preparatory  to  beseeching  me  to  issue  an 
order  that  she  might  go  to  see  her  children.  Several  others 
made  friendly  or  hostile  demonstrations.  The  female  attend- 
ants, being  obliged  to  conform  to  the  Egyptian  custom  of  keep- 
ing their  faces  covered,  were  embarrassed  in  their  struggles 
with  the  lunatics,  for  frequently  they  were  obliged  to  use  one 
hand  to  prevent  the  pulling  away  of  their  face  coverings.  Dr. 
Abbas  stated  to  us  that  he  had  applied  to  the  government. 


CAIRO  AND  HELIOPOLIS.  219 

and  hoped  to  secure  better  accommodations  for  female  pa- 
tients. 

The  drive  to  Heliopolis,  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  passed  pal- 
aces, tombs,  plantations  of  palms,  orange,  and  lemon  trees, 
barracks,  the  military  school,  and  fine  olive  orchards. 

We  paused  at  the  Virgin's  Tree,  a  magnificent  sycamore 
which  stands  in  a  garden,  so  called  because  of  a  legend  that 
the  Holy  Family  rested  beneath  it.  The  Coptic  sect  has  con- 
trol of  it,  but  the  Roman  Catholics  affirm  that  the  original 
tree  died  in  1659,  and  that  they  have  the  last  fragments  of  it 
in  Cairo.  It  is  claimed  by  the  latter  that  the  tree  we  saw  was 
not  planted  till  1672.  In  this  vicinity  are  the  gardens  in  which 
Cleopatra  planted  the  Balm  of  Gilead  which,  tradition  says, 
was  presented  to  Solomon  by  the  Queen  of  Sheba. 

Alas  for  the  glory  of  Heliopolis!  styled  by  an  English 
writer  the  "Oxford  of  Old  Egypt,"  the  site  of  the  supreme 
Temple  of  the  Sun.  There  Plato  and  Solon  studied  for  years, 
and  Herodotus  paused  in  his  travels  to  collect  the  facts  which 
give  him  the  name  of  "  Father  of  History."  Heliopolis  was 
the  capital  of  lower  Egypt,  and  is  mentioned  in  the  Bible  under 
various  names.  Here  Joseph  lived,  and  married  his  wife, 
A-senath,  the  daughter  of  " Poti-pherah,  the  priest  of  On, "and 
the  mother  of  Manasseh  and  Ephraim.  Josephus  says  that 
when  the  family  of  Jacob  arrived  in  Egypt,  their  residence  was 
given  to  them  in  On.  Here  the  sun  was  worshiped,  and  here 
stood  the  most  famous  and  ancient  shrine  in  Egypt,  with  the 
exception  of  one  in  Memphis.  But  while  they  worshiped  the 
sun  they  also  worshiped  cats  and  a  white  sow!  In  this  temple 
the  staff  of  priests  and  other  officers  numbered  twelve  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  thirteen.  Nothing  remains  of  its  glory  and 
magnificence  save  the  ruins  of  the  outer  wall  and  a  single  obe- 
lisk, which  is  the  oldest  in  Egypt,  dating  from  B.  C.  1700  to 
2400,  according  to  the  chronology  adopted.  It  is  nearly 
perfect. 

Obelisks  were  always  built  in  pairs,  and  in  1190  an  Arab  doc- 
tor, of  Bagdad,  saw  the  other  in  two  pieces;  but  it  has  long 
since  disappeared.  That  solitary  obelisk  on  which  we  looked 
was  old  when  Abraham  came  down  to  Egypt,  but  the  worship- 
ers of  the  sun,  whose  glory  it  commemorates,  are  extinct. 


220  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

From  the  ruins  of  Heliopolis  we  went  to  an  ostrich  farm. 
The  ostrich  is  cultivated  for  his  feathers,  for  which  there  is 
great  demand  wherever  fashion  rules  and  money  is  plenty. 
The  eggs  are  artificially  hatched.  We  went  leisurely  through 
the  grounds,  seeing  the  eggs  in  incubators,  and  by  the  agency 
of  light  applied  by  a  peculiar  process  the  growth  of  the  bird 
within  could  be  discerned,  and  the  soundness  of  the  egg  could 
easily  be  ascertained.  Afterward  we  saw  ostriches  of  every 
age,  from  twelve  days  and  upward,  and  no  creature  is  more 
grotesque  and  amusing  than  an  ostrich  two  weeks  old. 


THE  PYRAMIDS  AND  THE  SPHINX.  221 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 
The  Pyramids  and  the  Sphinx. 

Road  to  Pyramids  and  Scenes  upon  It — Traveling  Bedouins — Ascent  of  Great 
.    Pyramid — View  from  Summit — Interior  of  Cheops — "  King's  Chamber." 

THE  oldest  remains  of  the  ingenuity  and  labor  of  mankind 
are  at  once  stupendous  and  mysterious.  Their  glory,  how- 
ever, consists  not  alone  in  their  vastness  and  the  everlasting 
riddle  which  they  propound,  but  in  that  they  are  not  ruins. 
"  Everything  fears  Time,  but  Time  fears  the  Pyramids, "said  an 
Arabian  physician  more  than  seven  hundred  years  ago.  The 
"  Father  of  History,"  Herodotus,  describes  them  twenty-three 
hundred  years  ago  substantially  as  they  are  now,  and  when  he 
saw  them  they  were  probably  older  than  is  his  history  to-day. 
Yet  they  stand;  and  but  for  the  wearing  away  of  the  surfaces 
of  the  stones  by  human  feet,  if  the  visitor  were  told  that  the 
work  was  finished  in  the  first  year  of  the  present  century  he 
would  see  nothing  materially  inconsistent  in  the  statement. 

A  broad  road,  lined  with  trees,  elevated  by  an  embankment 
above  the  highest  inundation  of  the  Nile,  and  conducted  by  a 
magnificent  iron  bridge  across  the  river,  extends  direct  from 
Cairo  to  the  Pyramids,  and  can  be  traversed  by  carriage  in 
an  hour  and  a  half.  Until  1868  an  old  roundabout  donkey 
road  was  the  only  means  of  reaching  them,  and  this  fre- 
quently out  of  repair  and  obstructed  by  water.  The  Prince 
and  Princess  of  Wales  were  the  first  to  drive  without  inter- 
ruption from  Cairo  to  the  Pyramids.  When  the  Suez  Canal 
fStes  were  held  in  the  following  year,  the  road  was  in  as  per- 
fect order  as  at  the  present  time. 

Early  on  a  bright  morning  we  began  the  ride  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Mohammed  Abdel  Rahman,  clad  in  the  picturesque 
costume  of  his  race.  Leaving  the  city  we  saw  on  either 
hand  a  verdant  landscape.  In  January  everything  is  green 
and  the  plain  as  level  as  the  floor  of  a  palace.  Only  the  irri- 
gating canals,  sparkling  like  silver  threads  around  an  emerald. 


222  TRAVKI.S  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

varied  the  color  of  the  expanse.  In  every  direction  magnifi- 
cent palms  arose,  some  apparently  more  than  one  hundred 
feet  high.  In  the  distance  were  the  Pyramids;  beyond  these 
the  desert;  behind  us  the  city  and  citadel  of  Cairo. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  road  were  yet  more  interesting.  It 
seemed  as  though  all  Egypt  were  moving  toward  Cairo:  long 
processions  of  camels,  donkeys,  and  dromedaries,  laden  with 
grass,  vegetables,  wood,  and  everything  necessary  for  the  sus- 
tenance of  the  city;  thousands  of  Bedouins,  Egyptians,  and  Nu- 
bians, hastening  along  on  foot;  beggars  in  every  stage  of  deform- 
ity and  picturesqueness;  children,  half-naked,  running  to  and 
fro;  cripples,  leaping  at  a  speed  as  fast  as  our  horses  were  driven, 
yelling,  '  'Backsheesh  !  Backsheesh  !  "  sometimes  screaming  across 
the  canal,  asking  us  to  throw  them  something,  chattering  their 
few  words  of  English;  orange  peddlers  holding  up  their  tempt- 
ing wares.  Not  till  several  miles  had  been  passed  did  the 
scene  assume  a  more  rural  aspect. 

The  almost  uniform  testimony  is  true,  that  the  Pyramids — 
more  resembling  mountains  than  any  structure  of  human 
creation — seem  small  at  a  near  approach;  but  it  is  an  optical 
illusion  common  in  all  mountainous  countries  where  eleva- 
tions are  unusually  steep.  Niagara  Falls  generally  disap- 
points, but  the  longer  one  remains  listening  to  the  ceaseless 
roar  and  beholding  the  endless  flow,  the  more  is  he  brought 
under  the  spell  of  majesty,  power,  and  indestructibility  amid 
restlessness.  Thus  the  Pyramids  weave  an  imperceptible 
chain  about  the  mind,  which  gradually  but  surely  draws  the 
head  forward  and  downward  into  the  attitude  of  reverence, 
and  which  only  the  human  magpies  that  chatter  here,  and  the 
mercenary  Arabs  who  hover  about  the  visitors  like  vultures 
intent  upon  prey,  can  resist. 

A  little  before  arriving  at  the  Pyramids  the  road  enters  the 
desert  and  rapidly  ascends  to  the  plateau  on  which  they  stand. 
This  plateau,  formed  of  limestone  rock,  is  about  a  hundred 
feet  above  the  plain.  Upon  it,  near  the  Great  Pyramid  of 
Cheops,  is  the  Viceroyal  Kiosque,  in  some  of  the  rooms  of 
which  travelers  are  allowed  to  rest.  A  hotel  has  been  erected 
at  a  short  distance,  where  comfortable  accommodations  can  be 
obtained.  With  these  exceptions  the  entire  region  is  occupied 


entrance  to   Pyramid. 


THE  PYRAMIDS  AND  THE  SPHINX.  225 

by  ancient  monuments  of  different  shapes.  Above  tower  the 
Pyramids,  silent  and  immovable;  beyond  stretches  the  desert 
to  the  remotest  horizon.  Its  surface,  agitated  by  the  winds 
then  prevailing,  appeared  like  a  sea  whose  surges  beat  and 
dash  in  vain  against  those  massive  barriers.  Here  and  there 
a  solitary  camel  emerged,  and  as  its  rider  rose  and  fell, 
appeared,  indeed,  like  a  "ship  of  the  desert." 

Our  attention  was  rudely  drawn  from  this  extraordinary 
scene  and  the  meditations  to  which  it  gave  rise  by  a  crowd  of 
tumultuous  Bedouins,  who  surrounded  us,  offering  to  take  us 
to  the  summit.  Their  clamor  was  terrific.  In  a  mixture  of 
Arabic  and  modern  languages  they  set  forth  their  qualifica- 
tions. If  these  men  were  not  in  charge  of  a  Sheik,  respon- 
sible for  their  fidelity  and  competent  to  keep  order,  the 
traveler  would  fare  badly.  While  we  stood  looking  at  them 
the  Sheik  ordered  one,  who  was  unusually  persistent,  to  go 
back.  On  his  refusal  the  Sheik  struck  him.  He  replied  by  a 
vigorous  blow,  which  did  the  Sheik  considerable  damage. 
A  general  fight  then  began,  all  the  Bedouins  taking  the  side 
of  the  Sheik.  An  officer  appeared  upon  the  scene  with  a 
whip  and  beat  the  rebellious  Bedouin  across  the  face,  and  he 
went  away  in  the  condition  of  the  man  who  fell  among  thieves, 
"wounded  and  half  dead." 

After  much  bargaining,  we  started  up  the  Great  Pyramid  in 
charge  of  three  men.  Of  these,  two  took  hold  of  our  hands, 
and  the  third  stood  behind  to  push.  The  courses  of  stones 
were  so  arranged  as  to  make  a  series  of  steps  from  two  to  four 
feet  in  height.  The  two  pulled  vigorously,  but  the  third  was 
rather  a  hindrance  than  a  help,  for  he  did  not  accord  with 
the  movements  of  the  others,  and  generally  gave  a  terrific 
thrust  after  we  had  landed. 

Several  peculiarities  about  the  ascent  make  it  difficult  and 
to  some  perilous.  The  Arabs  generally  hurry  the  traveler 
from  the  start.  Harriet  Martineau  says  that  they  are  right  in 
taking  people  up  quickly.  It  is  trying  to  some  heads  to  sit  on  a 
narrow  ledge  and  see  a  dazzling  succession  of  ledges  for  two 
or  three  hundred  feet  below.  But  such  rapid  breathing  as  is 
required  in  a  rapid  ascent  is  itself  a  cause  of  dizziness.  The 
stones  are  of  a  light  color,  which  becomes  blinding  in  the  in- 


226  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

tensity  of  an  almost  torrid  sun  in  a  translucent  atmosphere. 
The  hue  of  the  exterior  and  of  the  desert  at  the  foot  being 
similar,  and  the  stones  but  a  few  feet  in  width,  it  seems  as 
though  one  were  on  an  inclined  plane,  and  the  feeling  that  he 
must  fall  takes  possession  of  his  mind. 

Some  who  never  waver  upon  the  loftiest  mountain  summits, 
or  who  could  climb  to  the  top  of  a  mast  at  sea  without  giddi- 
ness, have  here  been  known  to  succumb.  The  only  rational 
way  for  those  finding  any  difficulty  is  to  ascend  slowly,  rest 
frequently,  and  accustom  the  eye  to  the  view,  maintaining 
the  regularity  of  the  heart's  action  and  of  the  breathing.  With 
the  aid  of  the  Arabs  the  ascent  is  not  dangerous.  Ladies  fre- 
quently make  it,  and  I  have  known  gentlemen  more  than  sev- 
enty-five years  old  to  do  so.  Without  the  guides  it  is  perilous 
except  to  those  accustomed  to  the  roughest  mountain  work. 
Experience  in  ascending  all  trodden  paths  is  of  no  value  here. 
An  English  soldier  some  years  ago  scorned  the  help  and  at- 
tempted to  descend  alone,  fell,  and  was  dead  and  mutilated 
almost  beyond  recognition  before  he  reached  the  bottom. 

A  view  from  the  summit  is  both  elevating  and  depressing. 
If  one  looks  to  the  west  he  beholds  the  limitless  desert,  whose 
monotony  is  broken  only  by  ridges  of  rock  a  little  browner 
than  the  earth.  Within  the  distance  of  a  few  miles  south  and 
north  more  than  sixty  Pyramids  lift  their  triangular  sides 
and  pointed  apexes  above  the  sea  of  sand.  Were  it  not  for  the 
prospects  toward  the  rising  sun,  the  spectator  would  feel  him- 
self in  the  shadow  of  death.  An  awful  sense  of  desolation 
would  weigh  him  down  to  the  dust  whence  he  was  taken.  His 
nerves  would  fail,  and  he  would  be  ready  to  glide  from  the 
sands  of  time  into  the  eternity,  whose  type  is  the  circle  of  the 
horizon,  without  beginning  or  end.  But  in  the  east  the  sun  is 
the  symbol  of  human  life,  an  outburst  from  darkness  and 
death. 

The  meadows  intersected  by  irrigating  canals,  whose  waters 
in  the  sunlight  were  white  as  snow;  the  palm  trees  majestically 
waving  in  the  wind;  the  scores  of  villages;  the  high  carriage 
road,  narrowing  to  a  thread  as  it  reaches  the  great  city,  with 
its  countless  minarets  and  domes — this  is  a  contrast  as  great 
as  that  seen  at  the  foot  of  the  Mer  de  Glace,  in  the  valley  of 


THE  PYRAMIDS  AND  THE  SPHINX.  227 

Chamounix,  where  flowers  bloom  within  a  few  inches  of  the 
the  glacier. 

The  Pyramids  themselves,  as  the  work  of  man,  being  far 
higher  than  the  summit  of  any  natural  object  visible  from  them, 
and  vastly  older  than  anything  which  the  eye  can  descry,  ex- 
cept the  earth  and  "the  spacious  firmament  on  high,"  are 
more  imposing  than  the  limited  segment  of  the  globe  which 
can  be  seen  by  ascending  them. 

An  exploration  of  the  interior  of  the  Pyramid  of  Cheops  in- 
creases the  sense  of  its  magnitude.  I  entered  it  about  forty- 
five  feet  from  the  ground,  and,  under  the  guidance  of  the 
Arabs,  climbed,  traveling  as  a  quadruped  rather  than  as  a 
man,  for  one  hundred  and  ninety  feet,  along  a  passage  three 
feet  five  inches  high  and  four  feet  wide,  more  or  less  obstructed 
with  sand  and  small  stones.  We  then  reached  the  Queen's 
Chamber,  a  room  nineteen  by  seventeen,  and  twenty  feet  in 
height,  roofed  with  blocks  of  stone,  wonderfully  adjusted,  and 
ventilated  by  airholes.  This  apartment  stands  immediately 
under  the  apex  of  the  Pyramid,  but  is  four  hundred  and  seven 
feet  below  the  original  summit.  Hence  we  traversed  a  passage 
quite  irregular. 

At  one  point  an  Arab  descended  one  hundred  feet,  and 
lighted  a  candle  that  I  might  see  the  reflection.  The  solem- 
nity of  the  scene  was  broken  by  his  demand  for  backsheesh  as 
he  emerged  from  the  darkness.  After  various  wanderings  I 
reached  the  King's  Chamber,  which  is  seventy- one  feet  above 
that  previously  visited.  It  is  roofed  with  granite,  consisting 
of  nine  slabs,  each  eighteen  and  a  half  feet  long,  and  of  great 
thickness.  To  prevent  the  whole  from  being  crushed  in,  the 
builders  relieved  the  ceiling  of  the  weight  by  placing  five  hol- 
low chambers  above  it.  In  it  is  the  sarcophagus,  without  lid, 
inscription,  contents.  When  struck,  as  it  was  by  the  Arabs 
frequently,  the  sound  was  like  that  of  a  cathedral  bell. 

To  entertain  me  the  Bedouins  gave  vent  to  fearful  yells, 
which  reverberated  in  the  sepulcher  like  the  roars  of  wild 
beasts  in  dens  and  caves  of  the  earth,  or,  as  one  might  fancy, 
shrieks  of  prisoners  in  deep  dungeons,  made  insane  by  their 
miseries.  I  was  fain  to  sing  a  cheerful  hymn,  but  the  echoes 
transformed  it  into  a  wail  of  despair. 


228  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  catacombs  which  I  have  seen  in  Rome  and  in  Russia 
are  less  impressive  than  these  dark,  silent  realms,  tenanted  by 
those  who  lived  and  died  centuries  before  the  first  stone  of 
Jerusalem,  Athens,  or  Rome  was  laid. 

Miss  Martineau  says  with  truth:  "The  symmetry  and 
finish  so  deepen  the  gloom  as  to  make  it  seem  like  a  fit  prison 
house  for  fallen  angels." 

On  issuing  from  this  labyrinth  of  sepulchers  the  first  thing 
I  saw  was  the  "Great  American  Combination  Baseball  Club," 
which  had  been  making  a  tour  round  the  world,  preparing  to 
play  a  game  on  the  sand  between  the  Pyramids  and  the 
Sphinx!  Mummy  of  Cheops!  has  it  come  to  this? 


THE  PYRAMIDS  AND  THE  SPHINX.  229 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 
The  Pyramids  and   the  Sphinx. — (Continued.) 

History  of  Pyramids  and  Reasons  Why  They  Were  Built — Description  of 
the  Sphinx — Antiquity — Campbell's  Tomb — Extraordinary  Agility  of  a 
Bedouin — Incidents  of  the  Trip. 

CONCERNING  the  Pyramids,  we  naturally  ask,  Who  built 
them,  and  why?  How  were  they  built,  and  when?  Substan- 
tial unity  of  opinion  exists  upon  the  question  "Who  ?  "  The 
greatest  was  built  by  Khufu,  known  to  the  Greeks  as  Cheops; 
the  second  in  size  by  Khafra,  called  by  the  Greeks  Chephren; 
the  third  by  Menkaura,  whom  the  Greeks  called  Mycerinus. 
The  builder  of  the  second  is  said  by  most  authorities  to  be  the 
brother  of  the  first,  but  by  some  to  be  his  son ;  and  the  builder 
of  the  third  is  generally  conceded  to  have  been  the  son  of  the 
builder  of  the  first. 

"When  "they  were  built  depends  upon  the  principle  of 
chronology  adopted.  The  dispute  turns  upon  whether  the 
lists  given  by  Manetho  include  dynasties  contemporaneous  or 
successive.  Egyptology  is  now  a  science.  In  Cairo  and  other 
places  hundreds  of  volumes,  including  mathematical  calcula- 
tions, architectural  drawings,  and  theoretical  speculations, 
are  collected.  Boats  traversing  the  Nile  have  libraries  contain- 
ing the  standard  authors.  In  historical  and  theological  works, 
as  well  as  in  the  guidebooks,  some  of  which  are  brought  to  a 
high  degree  of  completeness,  various  hypotheses  are  proposed. 
Three  standard  authorities  differ  as  follows:  Mariette  puts  the 
fourth  dynasty,  of  which  Cheops  was  the  second  king,  as 
beginning  in  the  year  4235  B.  C. ;  Lepsius  in  the  year  3124 
B.  C. ;  Wilkinson  in  the  year  2450  B.  C.  Cheops  is  said  to 
have  reigned  fifty-six  and  Chephren  fifty  years. 

"Why"  were  they  built?  Five  or  six  theories  have  been  in- 
vented and  strenuously  defended:  that  they  were  temples; 
that  they  were  sepulchers;  that  they  were  mere  monuments 
of  ostentation;  that  they  were  designed  for  astronomical  and 
13 


230  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

other  scientific  purposes;  that  they  were  symbols  of  the  "Orig- 
inal of  Things."  Dr.  Piazzi  Smyth,  long  a  Director  of  the 
Royal  Astronomical  Observatory  at  Edinburgh,  holds  that  the 
Pyramid  of  Cheops  is  a  "meteorological  monument"  and  "a 
standard  of  measures."  A  multitude  of  sermons  have  been 
illustrated  by  extended  reasonings  and  quotations  from  his 
book,  which,  when  issued,  made  a  sensation  in  a  limited 
sphere.  But  all  theories,  except  that  they  were  tombs,  have 
failed  to  command  the  assent  of  any  considerable  number  of 
competent  investigators. 

From  a  passage  written  by  Mariette  Bey  I  condense  the 
considerations  in  favor  of  their  simply  being  tombs.  There  is 
not  in  Egypt  a  single  Pyramid  that  is  not  situated  in  a  necrop- 
olis. Only  one  has  accessible  interior  chambers  from  which 
astronomical  observations  might  have  been  made.  Their 
sides  are  accurately  arranged,  because  for  mythological  rea- 
sons they  are  dedicated  to  the  four  cardinal  points  of  the 
compass.  They  were  massive,  complete,  without  windows  and 
without  doors;  hence  intended  to  be  "  the  gigantic  and  for- 
ever impenetrable  casing  of  a  mummy."  The  archaeology  of 
the  monumental  customs  of  Egypt  confirms  this,  and  the  vast 
size  of  some  raises  no  argument  against  it,  because  there  are 
many  not  more  than  twenty  feet  high. 

Lepsius  has  explained,  in  a  manner  to  account  for  all  the 
facts,  the  plan  upon  which  they  were  formed.  When  a  king 
ascended  the  throne  he  began  to  build  his  Pyramid;  com- 
mencing on  a  small  scale,  so  that,  if  his  reign  should  be  short, 
his  tomb  might  be  finished.  As  time  went  on  he  enlarged  it 
by  adding  outer  coatings  of  stone  until  he  felt  that  he  was 
soon  to  die.  At  his  death  the  last  coating  was  finished.  The 
first  step  was  to  level  the  earth,  the  next  to  excavate  subter- 
ranean chambers,  then  to  build  a  Pyramid  with  very  steep 
walls.  If  the  king  died  when  this  was  finished,  a  summit  was 
placed  upon  it;  otherwise,  each  year  a  new  series  of  stones 
was  arranged  around  it. 

Two  facts  prove  this  theory  correct.  The  inside  is  always 
most  carefully  constructed.  The  larger  the  size  the  more 
roughly  the  outer  crusts  were  executed,  while  the  smallest 
Pyramids  invariably  consist  of  the  simple  structure  described  by 


THE  PYRAMIDS  AND  THE  SPHINX.  231 

Lepsius.  Most  of  the  stone  was  quarried  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  Nile,  in  subterranean  works,  which  are  still  used.  The 
stone  now,  as  in  ancient  times,  is  transported  to  the  banks  of 
the  Nile  by  means  of  camels  and  mules,  but  tramways  have 
been  recently  laid.  A  road  was  built  from  the  Nile  to  the 
Pyramids,  and  stone  brought  over  it  and  raised  on  piles  of 
wooden  slabs,  "  rocking  the  stones  up  alternately  to  one  side 
and  the  other  by  a  spar  under  the  block,  thus  heightening  the 
piles  alternately,  and  so  raising  the  stones."  Sheet  iron  was 
used  "  to  prevent  crowbars  biting  into  the  stones  and  to  ease 
the  action  of  the  rollers."  Recent  experiments  have  proved 
that  this  method  could  be  applied  to  the  heaviest  stones  in  the 
Great  Pyramid,  which  average  seven  hundred  cubic  feet,  each 
weighing  about  fifty-four  tons. 

The  Egyptians  believed  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  but 
knew  nothing  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body;  hence  the  im- 
portance of  preserving  the  mummy.  They  located  their  cem- 
eteries in  the  desert  to  escape  the  inundations  of  the  Nile.  In 
rich  excavated  tomb  chambers  kings  attempted  to  surpass  all 
private  persons.  These  tombs  of  royalty  are  either  covered 
with  mounds  or  blocks  of  stone.  To  protect  them  from  the 
sand  tempests  of  the  desert  they  were  covered  with  stones. 
"The  sepulchral  mounds  thus  acquired  a  definite  form.  They 
became  square  structures  tapering  upward,  and  gradually 
assumed  the  pyramidal  shape."  It  is  easy  to  see  that  the 
Pyramid,  being  practically  solid,  much  larger  at  the  founda- 
tion than  elsewhere,  and  least  exposed  to  the  winds  at  the 
higher  elevations,  could  more  successfully  resist  decay,  attack, 
concussion,  whether  of  storm  or  wind,  the  action  of  water 
(had  there  been  any  in  Egypt),  and  the  devastations  of  earth- 
quakes. Add  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere  as  a  protection, 
and  the  preservative  influence  of  the  sand  itself,  which  in  for- 
mer ages  extended  well  up  toward  their  summits,  and  the 
greater  relative  durability  of  these  structures  over  other 
monuments  of  human  industry,  though  still  wonderful,  ceases 
to  be  mysterious. 

After  leaving  the  Great  Pyramid  I  mounted  a  camel  and  rode 
to  the  Sphinx.  The  distance  is  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  and  the  ride  part  of  the  "sentiment"  of  the  tour.  It 


232  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

has  been  erroneously  supposed  by  many  that  there  is  but 
one  Sphinx.  The  avenue  leading  to  the  Great  Temple  is 
flanked  by  Sphinxes.  They  generally  consist  of  a  lion's 
body  with  the  head  of  a  man,  called  Androsphinx,  or  with  the 
head  of  a  ram.  It  was  the  discovery  by  Mariette  of  the  head 
of  a  Sphinx  appearing  through  the  sand  that  led  to  the  identi- 
fication of  the  Serapeum,  or  the  Apis  Mausoleum.  In  two 
months  he  excavated  an  avenue  six  hundred  feet  long  and  ex- 
posed to  view  one  hundred  and  forty-one  Sphinxes  entire, 
besides  pedestals  of  many  more.  But  that  before  which  we  then 
stood  is  so  far  superior  to  all  others,  and  was  so  long  known 
while  they  were  forgotten,  as  to  be  preeminently  the  Sphinx. 

The  pictures  and  photographs  so  common  in  books  of 
travel,  geographies,  and  works  on  Egypt,  give  a  fair  view  of 
the  features  of  the  Sphinx,  but  they  are  of  little  use  owing  to 
the  impossibility  of  representing  such  a  colossal  figure,  to 
which  nothing  analogous  exists  in  the  observer's  experience. 

The  body  is  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  long,  of  naked, 
natural  rock,  supplemented  by  masonry  to  give  it  the  proper 
shape.  The  head  is  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock  and  is  thirty  feet 
from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the  chin,  and  fourteen  feet  wide. 
In  ancient  times  there  was  a  cap  upon  it  adorned  with  the  erect 
figure  of  an  asp.  The  wig  is  still  there.  It  also  has  a  beard, 
fragments  of  which  I  saw  on  my  last  visit  to  the  British 
Museum.  The  ears  are  four  and  a  half  feet,  the  nose  five  feet 
seven  inches,  the  mouth  seven  feet  seven  inches  in  length. 
The  front  paws  are  fifty  feet  in  length,  and  between  them  were 
found  an  altar  and  a  kind  of  sanctuary  composed  of  three  tab- 
lets. Many  of  the  interesting  discoveries  of  modern  times  are 
already  concealed  by  sand,  which  continually  accumulates  not- 
withstanding everything  which  has  been  done  to  prevent  it. 

The  imagination  of  travelers  wonderfully  stimulated  by  the 
proximity  of  the  Pyramids  and  other  intoxicating  remains  of 
high  antiquity,  the  unlikeness  to  all  other  civilization,  the  mys- 
terious Nile,  the  fascinating  sky,  and  the  half-revealing,  half- 
concealing  desert,  have  surrounded  the  Sphinx  with  a  beauty 
and  majesty  which  it  is  the  fashion  to  depict  with  enthusiasm. 

It  has  been  said  to  have  "a  calm,  majestic  expression  of 
countenance,"  to  be  "very  beautiful,"  to  have  "a  graceful 


THE  PYRAMIDS  AND  THE  SPHINX.  235 

and  lovely  mouth,"  and  "to  smile  graciously."  Dean  Stanley 
says  there  is  something  overpowering  in  the  sight  of  that  enor- 
mous head,  and  thus  speculates:  "What  must  it  have  been 
when  on  its  head  was  the  royal  helmet  of  Egypt;  on  its  chin 
the  royal  beard;  when  the  stone  pavement  by  which  men  ap- 
proached the  Pyramids  ran  up  between  its  paws;  when  im- 
mediately under  its  heart  an  altar  stood  from  which  the  smoke 
went  up  into  the  gigantic  nostrils  of  that  nose,  now  vanished 
from  the  face,  never  to  be  conceived  again!  "  But  when  it  is 
remembered  that  no  living  person  or  modern  writer  ever  saw 
the  Sphinx  before  it  was  mutilated  to  such  an  extent  that  no 
one  can  even  pretend  to  say  whether  the  features  are  Negro, 
Nubian,  or  Egyptian,  "whether  they  be  sublimely  beautiful  or 
sweetly  smiling,  calmly  benevolent,  or  awe  inspiring,  typical 
of  solemn  majesty  or  debased  idolatry,"  we  are  obliged  to 
consider  what  it  is. 

As  it  now  stands,  it  is  an  enormous  mutilated  head  whose 
features  cannot  be  distinguished  much  more  clearly  than  those 
of  the  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain  in  the  Franconia  Notch.  Its 
antiquity  is  exceeding,  its  possible  symbolical  meanings  numer- 
ous and  sufficiently  diverse  to  furnish  materials  for  endless 
speculation,  the  only  indisputable  fact  being  that  it  was  wor- 
shiped as  a  local  deity. 

I  would  not  intimate  that  it  is  not  an  imposing  monument, 
or  that  it  made  no  impression  upon  me;  but  it  failed  to  justify 
the  fame  accorded  it  by  those  whose  descriptions  are  most 
frequently  read  and  heard.  One  writer  is  almost  ludicrous  in 
his  assertion  of  its  extraordinary  character,  and  yet  confesses  in 
the  same  sentence  that  it  is  not  beautiful  by  any  standard  now 
known:  "Comely  the  creature  is,  but  the  comeliness  is  not  of 
this  world;  the  once  worshiped  beast  is  a  deformity  and  a 
monster  to  this  generation,  and  yet  you  can  say  that  those  lips, 
so  thick  and  heavy,  were  fashioned  according  to  some  ancient 
mold  of  beauty."  The  penetration  that  sees  comeliness  in 
something  that  is  a  monster  to  the  present  generation,  and 
discerns  that  it  was  formed  according  to  an  extinct  and  in- 
comprehensible "mold  of  beauty,"  is  a  mysterious  gift  with- 
held from  common  mortals! 

Close  to  the  Sphinx,  and  not  yet  fully  determined  to  be  con- 


236  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

nected  with  it,  is  the  granite  temple  exhumed  by  Marietta  in 


1  saw  a  tomb,  named  at  the  time  of  its  discovery,  "Camp- 
bell's Tomb,"  after  a  British  consul  general,  which  interested 
me,  because  1  had  seen  one  of  the  sarcophagi  found  in  it  in 
the  British  Museum.  It  is  thirty  and  a  half  feet  by  twenty-six, 
and  fifty-three  and  three  quarters  feet  in  depth.  When  the 
party  had  finished  looking  at  it,  and  were  about  to  go  away, 
a  tall,  lithe,  graceful,  and  handsome  Bedouin  descended  to 
the  bottom,  and  then  performed  a  feat  of  extraordinary 
strength  and  agility.  He  climbed  from  the  bottom  to  the  top 
in  one  of  the  angles  of  the  walls,  adhering  by  lateral  pressure 
of  hands  and  feet  to  the  two  sides,  with  his  face  toward  the 
center.  There  were  a  few  places  an  inch  or  two  in  depth  in 
which  he  could  place  his  feet,  but  for  a  very  considerable  part 
of  the  way  he  adhered  by  hands  and  feet  as  a  fly  does  to  a 
ceiling. 

He  then  offered  to  ascend  the  Great  Pyramid  of  Cheops  and 
descend  in  the  space  of  eight  minutes.  This  he  was  willing  to 
do  for  a  backsheesh  of  five  francs.  Believing  it  impossible  I 
offered  him  the  amount,  and  with  the  grace  and  agility  of  a 
gazelle  he  leaped  in  his  bare  feet  upon  the  stones,  moved  like 
the  wind  from  height  to  height,  and  absolutely  performed  the 
feat  in  the  space  of  six  minutes  and  a  half.  He  was  clothed 
in  white,  and,  as  he  descended  with  a  kind  of  flying  trapeze 
motion,  his  raiment  streaming  in  the  wind,  he  presented  the 
most  bewildering  phase  of  human  action  that  I  have  ever  seen 
except  the  performances  of  Blondin. 

As  the  old  stage  driver  in  California  always  talks  about 
Horace  Greeley  and  his  wonderful  ride,  and  the  sea  captain  on 
the  Baltic  points  out  the  room  on  his  vessel  occupied  by  Gen- 
eral Grant,  and  guides  speak  here  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  and 
there  of  the  Czar  of  Russia,  so  the  Bedouin  conductors  at  the 
Pyramids  name  their  great  man. 

The  only  name  mentioned  to  us,  and  that  very  frequently 
by  the  Bedouins,  when  they  discovered  that  we  were  Americans, 
was  our  distinguished  fellow-citizen,  Mark  Twain.  So  far  as 
we  could  gather,  either  he  must  have  ascended  the  Pyramids 
twenty-five  or  thirty  times,  or  required  a  vast  amount  of  aid,  for 


THE  PYRAMIDS  AND  THE  SPHINX.  237 

nearly  every  man  had  lent  a  hand  in  helping  him  to  the  top;  or 
it  maybe  that,  just  before  leaving,  the  "  Innocent  Abroad  " 
distributed  backsheesh  to  the  entire  party. 

Our  visit  to  the  Pyramids  was  a  true  type  of  human  life — a 
mixture  of  the  grave  and  the  gay.  One  of  the  gentlemen  who 
had  traveled  with  us  from  Cairo,  when  he  was  rejoicing  in  a 
successful  ascent  and  exploration  of  the  interior,  under  the 
tension  of  mental  excitement  and  physical  weariness,  fell  un- 
conscious into  the  arms  of  the  Arabs,  and  until  he  opened  his 
eyes  and  said,  "How  long  have  I  been  in  this  state?"  it  was 
not  certain  that  the  expedition  would  not  end  in  a  tragedy. 
But  it  was  soon  over. 

On  my  first  visit,  not  being  quite  well,  when  about  halfway 
up  my  knees  smote  together,  my  head  swam,  and  I  was  com- 
pelled to  descend.  But  one  month  afterward,  on  a  bright  day, 
I  returned  and  ascended,  without  fatigue,  to  the  top  in  twenty 
minutes,  including  two  short  rests. 

For  travelers  in  ordinary  health,  without  tendency  to  ver- 
tigo, the  ascent  is  not  perilous,  and  invalids  may  find  pleasure 
and  refreshment  in  the  ride  over  the  beautiful  road  to  the 
scene  of  mankind's  only  successful  conflict  with  time. 


238  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
On  the  Nile. 

Importance  of  the  Nile — Cause  of  Annual  Overflow — Influence  upon  Intel- 
lectual Character  of  Egyptians — Way  of  Traveling  on  the  Nile  before 
Steamboats  Were  Introduced — Passengers  on  the  Prince  Abbas. 

THE  Nile  occupies  a  position  of  solitary,  unapproachable 
grandeur.  Its  sources  were  the  mystery  of  ages;  its  annual 
overflow  was  considered  supernatural ;  and  it  was  worshiped 
as  a  god  by  the  most  intellectual  nation  of  antiquity.  Herod- 
otus called  Egypt  the  "Gift  of  the  Nile,"  and  later  historians 
and  modern  scientists  have  greatly  enlarged  the  scope  of  the 
declaration.  For  two  thousand  years  European  explorers  tried 
to  ascertain  the  sources  of  the  Nile.  Most  of  the  authorities 
place  them  now  in  the  Victoria  Nyanza,  but  it  is  maintained  by 
some  that  its  head  stream  is  probably  to  be  found  in  the 
Shimiju,  which  rises  five  degrees  south  of  the  equator. 

As  I  approached  Egypt  all  other  objects,  even  the  Pyramids 
and  the  ruins,  diminished  in  interest  compared  with  the  burn- 
ing curiosity  which  I  felt  to  see  the  Nile.  The  first  impression, 
like  that  of  the  Mississippi,  was  disappointing. 

The  Nile  makes  Egypt;  without  it  the  Arabian  and  Libyan 
deserts  would  unite,  and  not  a  green  spot,  except  here  and 
there  a  small  oasis,  would  break  the  monotony.  The  river 
flows  northward,  receiving  various  large  tributaries,  until  it 
reaches  Khartoom,  where  General  Gordon  was  killed,  to 
which  point  it  is  known  as  the  White  Nile.  From  the  sea  to 
Khartoom  by  the  river  is  not  far  from  two  thousand  miles. 
There  it  is  joined  by  the  Blue  Nile,  which  rises  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Abyssinia,  and  before  reaching  Khartoom  becomes  a 
mighty  river.  Generally  speaking,  the  Blue  Nile  furnishes 
only  one  third  as  much  water  as  the  White  Nile,  but  after  the 
rains  fall  in  the  spring  and  summer  its  proportion  is  greatly  in- 
creased. It  pours  down  thick  with  mud  washed  from  the 
Abyssinian  mountains,  and  changes  the  color  of  the  stream, 


ON  THE  NILE.  239 

as  the  Saone  changes  the  color  of  the  Rhone,  with  which 
it  unites  at  Lyons. 

From  Khartoom  the  Nile  flows  to  the  sea,  without  a  trib- 
utary for  the  last  sixteen  hundred  and  twenty  miles;  Humboldt 
declares  that  this  is  without  parallel.  it  has  brought  down 
and  deposited  alluvial  mud  at  an  average  depth  of  thirty  feet. 
As  the  water  was  unusually  low,  we  could  see  the  different 
strata  on  the  perpendicular  walls  of  the  river  to  this  depth. 

Zincke,  in  his  elaborate  work  on  Egypt,  illustrates  how  this 
is  done  by  a  reference  to  the  valley  of  the  Platte,  above  Jules- 
burg,  in  our  own  country.  The  Platte,  he  says,  writhes  like 
a  snake  from  side  to  side  of  its  flat  valley,  continually  chang- 
ing its  channel  as  it  washes  up  bars  and  banks;  and  the  bluffs, 
though  now  generally  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  river, 
must  have  been  formed  by  it  when  it  was  working  first  against 
one  and  then  against  the  other  side  of  the  valley.  The  whole 
valley  of  the  Nile  is  from  four  and  a  half  to  ten  miles  in  Nubia, 
and  fourteen  to  thirty-two  miles  in  Egypt.  The  breadth  of 
the  soil  that  can  be  cultivated  nowhere  exceeds  nine  miles. 

The  general  cause  of  the  annual  overflow  is  the  amount  of 
rain  that  falls  in  Central  Africa.  This  is  very  uniform  in 
amount,  being  affected  by  the  trade  winds.  In  the  Abyssin- 
ian mountains  it  is  less  regular,  and  may  do  immense  damage ; 
if  there  is  too  much  it  destroys  the  dikes  and  embankments, 
much  property,  and  often  human  lives.  Generally  the  river 
begins  to  swell  early  in  June;  about  the  third  week  in  July  it 
rises  rapidly;  toward  the  last  of  September  it  remains  station- 
ary for  ten  days  or  more;  but  early  in  October  it  again  rises 
and  reaches  its  greatest  height.  After  it  begins  to  fall  it  rises 
again,  then  slowly  diminishes,  and  at  last  subsides  rapidly. 
We  were  on  the  Nile  during  the  greater  part  of  February  and 
a  part  of  March.  The  river  was  exceedingly  low,  and  the  cul- 
tivated land  dry  as  dust.  Two  feet  too  much  will  cause  ter- 
rible devastation  in  lower  Egypt,  and  three  or  four  feet  too 
little  drought  and  famine  in  upper  Egypt.  Too  much  will 
cause  more  devastation  than  formerly,  as  the  cotton  fields,  on 
which  prosperity  depends,  will  be  destroyed  by  floods. 

The  accounts  in  geographies  and  works  of  travel  written 
thirty  or  forty  years  ago  do  not  apply  to  the  present  condition 


240  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

of  Egypt.  Then  the  inundation  produced  a  vast  lake,  and  the 
water  flowed  directly  out  of  the  river  over  the  fields.  At 
present  the  whole  country  is  scientifically  irrigated;  water  let 
from  the  river  into  reservoirs  and  canals,  and  distributed  on 
the  same  principles  as  are  employed  in  California,  Utah,  and 
other  parts  of  the  United  States.  It  is  drawn  into  immense 
basins,  properly  situated  in  relation  to  the  cultivable  land. 
These  are  at  different  levels,  and  the  water  is  retained  until  it 
has  sufficiently  saturated  the  whole  soil  and  furnished  the  nec- 
essary amount  of  mud.  We  saw  only  the  machinery;  except 
the  irrigating  streams  and  canals,  there  was  no  running  water 
to  be  seen  in  all  Egypt. 

The  influence  of  the  Nile  upon  the  intellectual  character  of 
Egypt  was  equally  powerful.  It  was  protected  from  the  en- 
croachments of  other  countries  by  its  position  in  the  midst  of 
a  wide  desert.  Its  soil  was  so  fertile,  climate  so  balmy,  an- 
nual supply  of  manure  and  water  so  regular  and  reliable,  that 
it  had  no  difficulty  in  procuring  food,  and  there  was  almost  al- 
ways "corn  in  Egypt."  Therefore  its  people,  not  all  being 
required  to  wrest  from  unwilling  nature  the  means  of  sub- 
sistence, could  devote  themselves  to  intellectual  pursuits.  It 
had  a  winter  and  summer  harvest,  "the  riches  of  the  climates 
of  two  zones."  "Its  winter,  by  reason  of  its  environment  by 
the  heat-accumulating  desert,"  resembles  a  European  summer, 
and  its  summer  that  of  the  tropics.  Both  wheat  and  cotton 
grow  under  its  palms. 

Those  who  have  studied  deeply  into  the  matter  say  that  the 
Egyptians  learned  engineering  because  of  the  necessity  of  con- 
trolling the  Nile  and  distributing  its  water;  that  they  received 
their  first  impulse  to  the  study  of  astronomy  in  order  that  they 
might  know  when  to  expect  the  overflow;  that  as  the  river 
destroyed  all  landmarks  they  were  compelled  to  master  sur- 
veying, and  create  the  science  of  law  in  order  to  maintain  the 
rights  of  property;  and  that  it  was  the  river  which  awakened 
their  religious  sentiment.  Moreover  it  was  the  Nile  which  en- 
abled them  to  transport  the  materials  of  which  they  built  their 
imperishable  structures;  and  as  they  had  a  navigable  highway 
for  commerce  running  the  entire  length  of  their  country,  they 
naturally  learned  to  construct  vessels. 


ON  THE  NILE.  241 

Genesis  says:  "The  Lord  made  a  covenant  with  Abram, 
saying,  Unto  thy  seed  have  1  given  this  land,  from  the  river 
of  Egypt  unto  the  great  river,  the  river  Euphrates."  On  the 
bank  of  this  stream  Pharaoh's  daughter  found  the  ark  of  bul- 
rushes in  which  Moses  lay,  and  it  was  this  river  whose  waters 
were  turned  into  blood. 

The  old-fashioned  way  of  traveling  upon  the  Nile  for 
pleasure  or  exploration  was  by  the  dahabeah,  Charles  Dudley 
Warner's  My  Winter  on  the  Nile  gives  a  graphic  description  of 
the  pleasures,  and  the  pains,  too,  of  this  method.  If  one  has 
a  whole  winter  to  spend  in  Egypt,  and  merely  desires  to  enjoy 
the  climate  and  scenery,  and  study  leisurely  the  ruins  and  the 
people;  if  he  has  plenty  of  money,  and  company  of  which  he 
is  sure  he  will  never  tire;  or  if  he  is  an  artist  and  desires  to 
sketch,  and  if  in  addition  to  that  he  has  an  inexhaustible  sup- 
ply of  good  humor,  the  dahabeah  is  to  be  preferred.  As  these 
conditions  are  enjoyed  by  but  few,  had  not  steamboats  been 
placed  upon  the  river,  travel  upon  the  Nile  would  have  been 
confined  to  a  limited  number.  My  temperament  would  not 
bear  the  slow  rate  of  progress  in  a  dahabeah.  For  a  fortnight 
it  might  be  endured,  but  many  who  experimented  with  it  dur- 
ing that  winter  left  their  vessels  and  took  passage  upon  the 
steamers,  wearied  beyond  endurance  by  the  uncertainties  and 
delays.  Our  vessel  was  the  Prince  Abbas.  There  were  fifty- 
two  passengers,  among  them  an  aged  lawyer  from  Chicago, 
with  his  wife  and  two  children;  Professor  Hirschberg,  of 
the  University  of  Berlin,  one  of  the  Vice  Presidents  of  the 
International  Society  of  Oculists;  two  clergymen  of  the  Church 
of  England,  one  accompanied  by  his  daughter,  the  other  in  the 
mazes  of  an  agonizing  courtship,  which  culminated  in  a  prop- 
osition and  acceptance  before  the  voyage  ended ;  a  brother  of 
the  Hon.  Joseph  Chamberlain,  distinguished  parliamentarian 
and  diplomat;  a  retired  Brooklyn  merchant  with  his  wife  and 
two  daughters;  a  young  New  York  lawyer,  who  had  done  so 
well  in  a  year  that  his  father  had  sent  him  on  a  tour  around  the 
world;  a  Michigan  lumber  merchant  with  his  wife;  a  Scottish 
Presbyterian  minister,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Scotland;  a  wealthy  cit- 
izen of  the  United  Kingdom,  who  would  have  been  more 
charming  if  he  had  practiced  total,  or  even  partial,  abstinence; 


242  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

a  South  American,  who  had  made  a  fortune  and  was  traveling 
around  the  world  preparatory  to  settling  in  France,  his  native 
country;  several  Canadians;  two  ladies,  scions  of  the  English 
nobility;  several  couples  on  their  wedding  tours;  a  Swed- 
ish gentleman,  who  spoke  many  languages  and  suffered  with 
lumbago;  and  Henry  Oilman,  Consul  of  the  United  States  at 
Jerusalem. 

The  vessel  was  built  after  the  style  of  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi boats,  flat  bottom,  three  stories  high.  The  general 
management  was  good;  the  food  and  cooking  in  the  early 
part  of  the  voyage  excellent,  and  perhaps  not  more  monoto- 
nous toward  the  close  than  might  be  expected. 


MEMPHIS  AND  SAKKARA.  243 


CHAPTER   XXX. 
Memphis  and  Sakkara. 

Scene  at  Starting — The  Khedive's  Steam  Yacht — Scenery — Scramble  of 
Donkey  Boys  for  Riders — The  Greatest  Capital  of  Egypt — Colossal  Statue 
of  Rameses  II — Sakkara — The  Step  Pyramid  and  Serapeum — Description 
of  Interior  of  Step  Pyramid — Account  of  Discovery  of  Serapeum  by  Mariette 
Bey. 

PUNCTUALLY  at  ten  o'clock  on  Tuesday,  February  12,  the 
intending  voyagers  up  the  Nile  were  on  board.  The  peculiar 
excitement  which  attends  the  beginning  of  an  ocean  voyage 
was  not  manifest.  The  vessel  carried  no  freight,  was  not  com- 
pelled to  maintain  a  reputation  for  speed,  would  never  be  out 
of  sight  of  land,  nor  at  that  season  would  it  ever  be  where 
passengers  could  not  wade  ashore.  No  natives  were  traveling 
except  in  the  service  of  the  company,  no  mails  were  carried, 
and  those  who  came  down  to  bid  the  passengers  farewell  were 
themselves  far  from  home,  or  transient  acquaintances.  Still 
it  was  an  animated  scene,  much  resembling  the  starting  of  an 
old-fashioned  steamer  on  the  Mississippi. 

Soon  we  met  the  royal  steamer  bearing  the  Khedive  to  the 
capital.  The  vessel  was  a  fine  steam  yacht.  The  subordinate 
officers  accompanying  the  Khedive  wore  conspicuous  uniforms. 
We  passed  near  enough  to  the  vessel  to  have  a  fine  view  of  the 
Khedive,  who  bowed  with  genuine  oriental  grace  in  return  for 
our  cheers,  flag  showing,  whistle  blowing,  and  handkerchief 
waving,  salute  after  salute  having  been  fired  from  the  time 
the  royal  yacht  was  sighted.  One  must  go  to  the  East  to 
realize  the  beauty  and  amplitude  of  which  the  bow  is  capable. 

The  country  along  the  banks  of  the  river  was  charming. 
The  corn  was  growing,  its  light  green  contrasting  with  the 
rich  emerald  color  of  the  perennial  palms.  Where  the  grass 
could  be  seen  from  the  deck  of  the  vessel  the  whole  landscape 
seemed  carpeted,  the  roads  appearing  like  avenues  through  a 
park.  Here  and  there  tall  sycamores  rivaled  the  palms  in 


*44  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

height.  Turning  from  the  shore  we  saw  numerous  dahabeahs, 
fishing  and  freight  boats,  and  once  a  small  vessel  bearing  two 
enormous  camels,  which  were  apparently  large  enough  to  upset 
the  vessel,  had  they  the  power  to  combine.  There  were  plenty 
wild  fowl  and  not  a  few  pelicans  flying  above  or  swimming  in 
the  waters.  The  sky  was  absolutely  clear,  and  the  air  as  pure 
as  ever  fans  the  earth. 

At  noon  we  came  to  anchor,  and  witnessed  the  first  of 
scenes  that  never  failed  in  interest — the  scramble  of  the  donkey 
boys  for  riders.  The  vessel  carried  side-saddles  for  the 
ladies;  the  donkeys  were  owned  by  men  who  contracted  with 
the  company  for  a  small  sum.  The  donkey  boys  got  most  of 
their  pay  from  the  gratuities  given  by  travelers.  There  were 
more  donkeys  than  passengers;  some  better,  some  worse.  The 
meaner  looking  the  animal  the  more  vociferous  the  declara- 
tions that  "he  is  a  very  good  donkey  "  and  the  boy  "  a  very 
nice  donkey  boy."  Many  of  these  had  picked  up  considerable 
English  and  some  French  and  German.  They  display  great 
ingenuity  in  carrying  on  a  conversation  with  the  few  words 
they  know. 

Our  destination  "by  donkey"  was  Memphis,  the  greatest 
capital  of  Egypt.  The  site  of  ancient  Memphis  is  now  called 
Mitrahenny.  After  riding  over  the  plains  and  through  the 
palm  groves  we  came  to  the  colossal  statue,  about  forty- 
two  feet  in  height,  of  Rameses  II,  its  head  of  limestone. 
It  was  discovered  by  Caviglia  in  1820,  and  presented  by 
Mohammed  Ali  to  the  British  Museum,  provided  it  should  be 
taken  to  England.  Nine  months  of  the  year  it  is  under  water, 
but  of  late  it  has  been  lifted  several  feet,  and  now  lies  on  its 
side.  Mariette  Bey  says  the  statues  of  Rameses  are  so  com- 
mon that  science  would  attach  no  importance  to  this  one  were 
it  not  that  the  head,  modeled  with  a  grandeur  of  style  which 
one  never  tires  of  admiring,  is  an  authentic  portrait  of  the  cel- 
ebrated conqueror  of  the  Nineteenth  Dynasty.  We  climbed 
over  it  as  grasshoppers  might  have  done.  As  in  all  the  rep- 
resentations of  Rameses,  there  is  an  incipient  smile  upon 
the  features,  an  expression  of  complacency  unmistakable,  if 
judged  by  the  indications  of  that  state  of  feeling  natural  to 
occidentals.  There  is,  however,  a  mystery  in  oriental  expres- 


MEMPHIS  AND  SAKKARA.  247 

sions  of  countenance  which  does  not  always  admit  of  interpreta- 
tion by  Western  standards. 

Although  Memphis  was  probably  the  largest  city  in  Egypt, 
and  perhaps  the  oldest;  though  it  was  many  miles  in  length, 
and  so  magnificent  that  the  Pyramids  Abousir,  Sakkara,  and 
Dashoor  are  but  its  cemeteries;  though  its  streets  were  more 
than  half  a  day's  journey  in  length;  though  it  exerted  a  pro- 
found influence  upon  the  destiny  of  the  human  race,  and 
though  down  to  eight  hundred  years  ago  its  ruins  were  such 
as  to  cause  a  discriminating  traveler  and  scientist  to  say,  "As 
for  the  figures  of  idols  that  are  found  among  those  ruins, 
whether  as  regards  their  number  or  their  enormous  magnitude, 
it  is  something  that  baffles  description,  and  of  which  one  can 
hardly  convey  any  idea,"  and  led  him  to  regard  as  pardonable 
the  popular  belief  that  the  ancient  Egyptians  were  giants  of 
fabulous  longevity  who  had  the  power  of  moving  masses  of  rock 
with  a  magician's  wand;  and,  notwithstanding  it  existed,  ac- 
cording to  Wilkinson  nearly  three  thousand  years,  to  Lepsius 
nearly  four  thousand,  and  to  Mariette  Bey  five  thousand, 
nothing  remains  but  mounds,  ruins  of  walls,  broken  columns, 
and  defaced  statues  and  idols,  above  which  wave  palm  trees, 
and  about  which  grow  weeds  and  rank  grass! 

Mariette  Bey,  in  his  Monuments  of  Upper  Egypt,  quotes 
Jeremiah,  and  declares  that  his  gloomy  threatenings  are  liter- 
ally fulfilled. 

From  Memphis  we  rode  several  miles  to  Sakkara.  This  is  a 
village  of  no  importance,  but  gives  its  name  to  the  Necropolis 
of  Memphis,  which  is  adjacent.  It  lies  on  the  verge  of  the 
sands  of  the  desert,  and  is  four  and  a  half  miles  long,  in  the 
narrowest  part  being  about  a  third  of  a  mile  wide,  and  in  the 
broadest  a  mile.  Here  the  exploration  has  been  more  thorough 
than  in  any  other  place. 

It  is  impossible  for  one  who  does  not  remain  in  Egypt  for 
years,  devoting  himself  exclusively  to  the  work,  to  visit  the 
whole  of  this  cemetery.  The  Pyramids,  especially  the  Step 
Pyramid,  the  Serapeum,  and  certain  tombs  admit  of  easy  ex- 
ploration by  travelers.  The  Step  Pyramid,  which  is  visible  at 
a  great  distance,  is  believed  by  some  to  have  been  erected  by 
a  king  of  the  first  dynasty,  which  would  make  it  the  most 


248  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

ancient  structure  in  the  world;  others  assign  to  it  a  later 
origin.  it  consists  of  six  stages,  six  and  one  half  feet  wide, 
varying  in  height.  One  of  my  companions  climbed  to  the 
summit,  finding  various  portions  in  a  ruinous  condition. 

It  was  opened  in  1821.  Immediately  under  the  center  is 
an  excavation  seventy-seven  feet  deep  and  twenty-four  feet 
square;  the  top  is  dome-shaped,  the  bottom  paved  with  granite, 
and  underneath  was  an  opening  concealed  by  a  granite  block 
that  weighed  four  tons.  From  it  lead  intricate  passages,  for- 
merly lined  with  vitrified  porcelain  slabs,  similar  to  those 
known  as  Dutch  tiles.  A  chamber  was  discovered  which  had 
not  been  ransacked  by  thieves,  and  in  it  thirty  mummies  were 
found. 

On  the  Sakkara  plateau  there  are  eleven  Pyramids,  and  from 
elevated  points  more  than  sixty  are  in  sight.  The  Serapeum 
was  the  most  curious  monument  which  we  saw  there.  Its  dis- 
covery was  romantic.  In  1850  Mariette  Bey  was  commis- 
sioned by  the  French  government  to  visit  the  Coptic  convents 
of  Egypt,  and  to  make  a  catalogue  of  such  manuscripts  as  he 
should  find  in  oriental  languages.  He  noticed  at  Alexandria, 
in  a  private  garden,  several  Sphinxes.  Soon  he  saw  more  at 
Cairo,  and  still  more  at  Gizeh,  and  was  convinced  that  there 
must  be  an  avenue  of  Sphinxes  which  was  being  pillaged.  He 
was  led  to  discover  this  avenue  by  perceiving  the  head  of  one 
of  the  Sphinxes  protruding  from  the  sand.  He  began  to  dig, 
and  drew  such  treasures  from  the  sand  as  to  convince  him, 
on  referring  to  a  passage  in  Strabo,  that  he  was  discover- 
ing the  route  to  the  Serapeum.  The  French  government 
aided  him,  and  in  four  years  the  discovery  was  complete.  Two 
months  of  the  work  revealed  an  avenue  six  hundred  feet  long, 
and  laid  bare  one  hundred  and  forty-one  Sphinxes.  When  he 
had  gone  down  seventy  feet  he  found  a  semicircle  of  statues 
representing  the  most  famous  philosophers  and  writers  of 
Greece,  some  having  names  at  the  bottom.  Among  the  ob- 
jects found  were  two  lions  and  various  golden  ornaments  that 
were  in  the  coffin  of  the  favorite  son  of  Rameses  II.  The 
two  lions  and  two  of  the  ornaments  I  saw  some  years  ago  in 
the  Louvre  in  Paris,  where  they  are  preserved. 


THE  TOMB  OF  TIH.  249 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

The    Tomb    of  Tih,  and    the    Voyage    and  Visit   to 
Beni-Hassan. 

Painting  in  Tomb  of  Tih — Pyramid  of  Maydoom — Characteristic  Scenes — 
Nile  Fish — Palms — Cliffs  of  Gebel  et  Tayr — The  "  Mountain  of  the  Bird," 
and  its  Legend — Origin  of  Fable  of  Charon  and  the  River  Styx — Tombs  of 
Beni-Hassan. 

THE  tomb  of  Tih  (or  Thy)  is  claimed  by  Egyptologists  to 
be  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  instructive  in  Egypt,  and  it  is 
certainly  an  excellent  preparation  for  the  further  examination 
of  the  wonders  of  upper  Egypt.  It  has  been  so  damaged  by 
explorers,  "the  would-be  archaeologists,  who  with  their  wet 
squeeze-paper  have  destroyed  in  so  many  places  the  brilliant 
colors  that  centuries  have  spared, "the  savants  who  have  cut 
off  and  carried  off  large  pieces  of  the  sculpture  and  taken 
them  to  museums  in  different  parts  of  the  world,  and  the 
wretches  who  have  written  names  all  over  the  tomb,  that  some 
have  almost  regretted  its  discovery.  It  is  to  the  sand  of 
Egypt  that  the  preservation  of  these  things  is  due,  for  had 
they  not  been  covered,  the  abominable  vandals,  the  same  in  all 
ages,  who  are  prevented  only  by  the  strong  arm  of  the  law 
from  carrying  on  the  work  of  devastation,  and  consider  it 
smart  to  evade  it  when  they  can,  would  have  ruined  every- 
thing. The  paintings  in  the  tomb  of  Tih  are  divided  into 
three  parts.  The  scenes  of  the  first  relate  to  him  as  living. 
Women  of  his  household  are  dancing  before  him,  musicians  are 
playing  upon  instruments,  and  singers  are  accompanying  them 
beating  time.  Again  he  is  shooting  in  the  marshes,  standing 
in  a  boat,  letting  fly  what  we  call  stool  pigeons;  around  the 
bark  are  hippopotami  and  crocodiles,  and  servants  trying 
to  catch  them.  There  are  representations  of  pastoral  life, 
a  brook,  cows  grazing,  calves  feeding  in  the  meadow,  herds- 
men driving  goats;  then  harvest  time  is  depicted,  and  so 
on  through  the  entire  course  of  the  life  of  a  prosperous  and 
14 


250  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

happy  man.  Scenes  relating  to  his  death  follow.  Here  he 
is  represented  as  dead,  but  standing  in  a  bark  watching  the 
conveyance  of  his  own  mummy  into  the  necropolis.  After- 
ward the  bringing  in  of  funereal  gifts  is  portrayed,  including 
bread,  wine,  fruits  of  the  earth,  limbs  of  animals.  The  dead 
man  is  seated,  the  procession  with  the  offerings  passing  before 
him.  Priests  chant  hymns. 

Of  the  books,  the  best  extant,  which  I  have  procured  upon 
Egypt,  none  has  pleased  me  so  much  as  the  Monuments  oj 
Upper  Egypt,  by  Auguste  Mariette  Bey,  entitled  in  the  original, 
Itine'rairc  de  la  Haute-Egypte. 

Proceeding  up  the  Nile,  we  saw  in  the  distance,  about  four 
miles  from  the  shore,  the  Pyramid  of  Maydoom,  called  by  the 
Arabs  the  False  Pyramid.  It  has  this  opprobrious  name  be- 
cause the  nucleus  of  it  is  natural  rock,  which  is  built  around 
so  as  to  give  the  shape  of  a  pyramid — a  peculiarity  which  dis- 
tinguishes it  from  all  others. 

During  the  afternoon  we  were  delighted,  while  gliding  past, 
with  the  view  of  the  villages,  the  banks  covered  with  trees,  the 
buffaloes  standing  or  lying  in  the  water,  the  multitude  of  dogs, 
women  coming  to  the  river  filling  water  jars  and  washing 
clothes.  The  buffalo  was  introduced  from  India,  and  has  al- 
most taken  the  place  of  the  ox  for  agricultural  purposes.  They 
are  stronger,  more  enduring,  and  require  less  care.  Buffalo 
milk  is  good,  furnishing  rich  cream  and  butter. 

There  were  long  stretches  of  sand  banks,  and  upon  and 
over  them  immense  numbers  of  water  birds.  Occasionally 
a  pelican,  six  feet  from  the  tip  of  the  beak  to  the  tail,  could 
be  seen,  like  a  vessel  at  anchor.  Storks,  cranes,  and  her- 
ons were  wading.  Flocks  of  geese  were  flying  early  in  the 
morniftg,  and  in  the  evening  their  loud  screams  could  be 
heard. 

Though  here  and  there  we  saw  a  fisherman,  and  fish  are 
abundant,  the  less  said  of  them  the  better.  "They  are  all 
soft,  woolly,  and  have  a  strong  flavor  of  mud."  There  is  a 
rock  in  the  stream  near  the  shore  in  the  vicinity  of  these  sand 
banks  which  the  Arabs  poetically  call  Hagar  s-Salam,  or  Stone 
of  Welfare.  They  have  a  superstitious  belief  that  a  journey 
down  the  Nile  cannot  be  called  prosperous  until  that  is  passed. 


THE  TOMB  OF  TIH.  251 

Mountains  rise  some  hundreds  of  feet  in  height  along  the 
bank  of  the  Nile,  but  the  river  leaves  them  as  it  proceeds  west- 
ward. Noble  palm  trees,  which  form  thick  groves  around  the 
villages,  are  everywhere  the  finest  features  of  the  landscape,  and 
when  the  graceful  minaret  rises  from  among  them,  the  scene 
is  attractive.  On  approaching  the  village  the  mosque  is  found 
frequently  inferior  to  the  minaret;  the  mud  huts  with  thatched 
roofs  are  but  a  few  feet  high,  and  streets  being  practically  un- 
known, the  enchantment  dissolves. 

A  marked  change  in  the  scenery  took  place  as  the  vessel 
approached  Gebel  et  Tayr.  These  precipitous  cliffs  rise 
nearly  perpendicular  from  the  river  to  the  height  of  nearly  a 
thousand  feet.  Sailing  vessels  need  to  be  extremely  careful 
in  passing,  as  extraordinary  gusts  of  wind  arise,  and  in  the 
water  near  the  base  we  saw  one  or  two  wrecks  of  fishing 
smacks,  and  one  of  a  dahabeah.  There  is  a  Coptic  convent 
upon  the  summit,  and  in  former  times  the  monks  would  come 
down  the  face  of  the  rocks  to  the  river,  appearing  to  travelers 
like  insects,  and  then,  plunging  into  the  river,  would  swim  off 
to  the  boats  to  beg.  Ashamed  of  the  scandals  to  which  this 
gave  rise,  the  Patriarch  forbade  it.  Gebel  et  Tayr  is  the 
"  Mountain  of  the  Bird,"  and  all  the  birds  of  the  country  are 
said  to  assemble  upon  it  once  a  year.  They  select  one  of  their 
number  to  stay  until  the  next  year.  This  done  they  fly  away 
to  the  interior  of  Africa,  coming  back  at  the  end  of  the  year 
to  release  the  prisoner  and  substitute  another.  What  the 
object  is,  the  legend  does  not  explain;  probably  it  originated 
from  the  fact  that  numbers  of  birds  appear  there,  and  when 
they  depart  one  or  two  stay  behind ! 

As  we  were  constantly  moving  southward,  by  the  sixteenth 
of  February  the  heat  was  as  great  as  it  ever  is  in  the  United 
States  at  any  season  of  the  year.  In  the  shade,  however,  the 
temperature  was  tolerable.  We  caught  glimpses  of  disman- 
tled forts,  many  sugar  plantations  on  the  east  side,  and  in  the 
mountains  rocks  and  grottoes  used  as  tombs.  Midway 
between  the  villages  of  Sooadee  and  Kom-Ahmar  is  a  cemetery 
to  which  solemn  funeral  visits  lasting  seven  days  are  paid 
three  times  a  year.  The  ancient  Egyptians  usually  selected 
cemeteries  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  from  the  place  of 


252  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

their  abode  and  carried  over  the  bodies  in  ferryboats,  the 
women  wailing.  As  we  passed  this  point  I  read  an  interesting 
fact.  It  was  the  old  Egyptian  custom  of  ferrying  over  the 
dead  that  gave  rise  to  the  fable  of  Charon  and  the  River  Styx. 
The  authority  for  this  statement  is  Diodorus,  who  traces  the 
fable  distinctly  and  consistently  from  the  funeral  ceremonies 
of  Egypt. 

When  Beni-Hassan  was  reached,  we  landed  to  visit  the 
tombs.  The  tombs  of  Beni-Hassan,  architecturally  and  picto- 
rially,  are  as  highly  esteemed  by  Egyptologists  as  any  to 
be  found  elsewhere  in  Egypt.  They  are  believed  to  date  from 
3000  B.  C.  The  city  for  which  this  mountain  once  served  as 
a  burial  place  cannot  be  identified;  not  even  its  name  is 
known,  nor  its  site  authenticated;  but  the  tombs  themselves 
show  that  the  dead  buried  in  them  were  public  functionaries  in 
that  city.  They  are  constructed  on  the  same  principle  as 
those  in  the  Pyramids  and  at  Sakkara — the  accessible  chamber, 
the  hidden  well,  the  funeral  vault  containing  the  sarcophagus, 
and  the  mummy  at  the  bottom  of  the  well.  The  paintings 
give  details  of  the  history  and  events  of  the  life  of  the  deceased. 
No  representations  whatever  of  the  Deity  appear.  Some  are 
inferior,  but  when  the  last  two  were  reached  even  the  stolid 
spectators  were  interested.  The  caves  are  ornamented  with 
colored  figures;  those  of  the  north  stained  red  to  resemble 
granite.  The  fissures  were  filled  with  mortar  to  make  the 
surface  smooth,  and  overlaid  with  a  thin  coating  of  lime. 
Most  noted  of  the  northern  grottoes  is  the  tomb  of  Ameni- 
Amenemha,  Governor  of  the  Province  of  Sah,  who  was  also  a 
general  of  infantry,  and  led  campaigns  against  the  Ethiopian 
and  other  peoples. 

The  paintings  represent  various  trades;  manufacture  of 
linen  cloth,  farming  and  hunting,  wrestling,  dancing,  book- 
keeping. The  whipping  of  servants  and  the  punishment  of 
subjects  are  illustrated;  fishermen  dragging  nets  to  the  shore; 
geese  and  wild  fowl  being  snared,  and  women  playing  on 
harps.  Portraits  of  Ameni  and  his  two  wives  are  outlined. 

The  next  tomb  is  that  of  Knumhopt,  grandson  of  Ameni. 
He  is  represented  standing  amid  his  favorite  dogs,  while 
toward  him  advances  a  procession  which  was  for  a  long  time 


THE  TOMB  OF  TIH.  255 

supposed  to  represent  the  arrival  of  Joseph's  brethren  in  Egypt. 
The  first  figure  is  a  scribe  who  presents  an  account  of  the  arrival 
of  the  strangers;  in  the  next  another  Egyptian  ushers  them 
into  his  presence,  bearing  gifts.  The  men  have  aquiline 
noses  and  black  beards,  and  wear  sandals;  the  women  have 
boots  reaching  to  the  ankle.  This  is  the  most  ancient  known 
example  of  those  immigrations  of  an  Asiatic  race  "  which 
later  on  played  so  important  a  part  in  the  affairs  of  Egypt." 
The  Jews  in  subsequent  ages  were  attracted  by  the  fertility  of 
the  country;  but  that  these  were  not  Joseph's  brethren  is 
proved  by  the  fact  that  the  tombs  were  excavated  several  cen- 
turies before  his  time,  and  that  the  name  and  the  number  of 
the  people  written  over  the  tombs  is  inconsistent  with  the  Bib- 
lical account. 


256  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
A  Diversified  Journey. 

Village  of  Beni-Hassan — Methods   Used  by  Beggars — Sugar  Factory — Dom 
Palms — Asyoot — Oriental  Market  Scenes. 

ON  the  way  to  and  from  the  tombs  we  passed  the  village  of 
Beni-Hassan,  notorious  for  ferocity,  filth,  and  thieving  pro- 
pensities. We  saw  many  of  the  inhabitants,  a  few  who  looked 
savage,  others  resembling  the  people  along  the  Nile  generally. 
The  children  are  like  the  majority  of  the  Egyptian  children, 
sweet-tempered  and  vivacious.  They  followed  us,  crying,  "Back- 
sheesh,  backsheesh."  Those  who  were  disappointed  would 
sometimes  cry,  but  no  such  persuaders  exist  in  the  world  as  the 
Egyptian  girls.  They  bow  and  smile,  and  use  winning  and 
beautiful  gestures.  Zincke  says  that  an  Arab  girl  to  whom  he 
had  refused  to  give  suddenly  sprang  forward  and  threw  her- 
self on  the  ground  exactly  in  the  donkey's  path,  and  became 
violently  convulsed  with  a  storm  of  uncontrollable  agony.  In 
her  convulsions  she  shrieked  and  threw  dust  on  her  head.  He 
rode  on,  taking  no  notice  of  her.  She  reenacted  the  scene, 
but  finding  that  he  was  not  moved  "with  nature's  mother  wit 
and  arts  well  known  before,"  for  the  remainder  of  the  way 
she  ran  along,  still  extending  her  hand,  but  now  all  winsome 
smiles. 

One  boy  that  we  saw  was  so  nearly  naked  that  it  would 
hardly  be  an  exaggeration  to  say  that  he  was.  He  came 
toward  us  carrying  a  big  stone  with  which  he  beat  upon  his 
chest,  and  with  an  agonized  expression  held  out  his  hand  for 
backsheesh.  We  declined.  He  struck  himself  again.  We 
shouted,  "Go  away."  He  drew  back  the  stone  as  if  he 
intended  to  throw  it  at  us.  We  smiled,  he  laughed,  and  the 
crowd  shouted. 

At  the  ship  we  witnessed  a  disgraceful  scene.  A  crowd  of 
more  than  one  hundred  men,  women,  and  children,  from 
seventy-five  years  of  age  to  five,  the  majority  being  from 


A  DIVERSIFIED  JOURNEY.  257 

fifteen  to  thirty,  some  entirely  naked,  and  others  holding  up 
what  little  clothes  they  had  to  catch  the  backsheesh,  oranges, 
and  other  fruits,  screaming  like  wild  animals,  and  throwing 
every  possible  expression  into  their  faces.  As  wildly  absorbed 
as  though  drunk  or  insane,  they  scrambled,  fought,  and 
plunged  into  the  water.  Little  girls  were  lifted  by  boys  and 
pushed  farther  toward  the  steamer,  and  when  the  money  was 
thrown  to  them  older  boys  would  leap  upon  them  and  push 
them  down  into  the  water.  There  must  have  been  a  score  of 
fights,  and  more  than  ten  score  of  blows  struck  during  the 
scrimmage. 

When  the  excitement  was  highest  the  Sheik,  with  his  long, 
black  robe  and  turban,  appeared  with  a  club  in  his  hand,  and 
went  among  the  crowd,  beating  them  terrifically.  A  guard 
also  beat  them  over  the  head  and  shoulders  with  a  koorbash,  a 
whip  of  hippopotamus  hide.  This  was  genuine  beating,  for 
the  children  ran  away  screaming,  and  the  resounding  whack 
of  the  club  and  the  whip  could  be  heard.  Several  ladies  re- 
treated, but  two  American  girls  said,  "It  was  the  custom  of 
the  country,  and  they  were  there  to  see  it."  Yet  the  moment 
the  Sheik's  back  was  turned  the  crowd  turned  about,  and  the 
yell  began.  While  the  Sheik  remained  they  were  fighting 
among  themselves,  but  did  not  resist  him;  though  we  saw  two 
or  three  appearing  to  do  so.  At  the  close  the  Sheik  himself, 
though  not  mingling  with  the  crowd,  stood  at  one  side  bowing 
and  stretching  forth  his  hand  for  backsheesh. 

Soon  after  the  steamer  moved  off  we  observed  that  the  river 
left  the  mountains  and  made  a  bend  toward  the  west,  and  in 
a  little  while  we  stopped  at  Roda,  where  is  one  of  the  largest 
sugar  factories  on  the  Nile.  We  explored  it  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Abraham  and  a  government  officer.  It  is  owned 
and  managed  by  the  Khedive,  is  lighted  by  gas,  and 
employs  two  thousand  persons.  The  machinery,  made  in 
France,  is  elaborate  and  costly.  The  workmen  were  almost 
naked,  and  hundreds  were  lying  asleep  with  scarcely  any 
clothes  on,  as  black  as  the  floor  on  which  they  slept,  hav- 
ing nowhere  else  to  go.-  They  packed  themselves  together 
until  the  length  of  the  side  of  a  room  was  taken  up;  then 
another  row  was  started,  the  heads  of  the  second  row  being  at 


258  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

the  feet  of  the  first;  and  so  on  until  the  room  was  filled,  leav- 
ing only  a  space  about  a  foot  and  a  half  wide  for  a  walk. 
Their  wages  are  exceedingly  small. 

In  former  times  the  Khedive  raised  all  the  cane  for  the 
factory,  but  on  account  of  the  quantities  eaten  by  the  natives 
and  the  workmen,  found  that  he  was  losing  money.  Now 
the  men  raise  the  cane,  which  the  Khedive  buys  at  prac- 
tically his  own  price.  It  is  peculiarly  sweet  and  pleasant  to 
the  taste.  We  observed  each  process;  first  the  crushing  of 
the  cane,  then  the  passing  of  the  sap  through  sieves  to  clear 
it  from  impurity,  then  into  boilers,  then  into  clarifying  and 
cooling  vats  until  it  was  brought  out  into  different  qualities  of 
sugar.  The  superintendent  of  each  department  conducted 
us  through  it.  Some  could  speak  English,  and  where  they 
could  not  our  dragoman  interpreted.  On  reaching  one  room 
the  ladies  of  the  party  were  shocked  at  seeing  an  almost 
naked  workman  in  one  of  the  bins  perspiring  profusely,  the 
perspiration  mingling  with  the  sugar.  "  My!  "  said  one  of  the 
ladies,  "I  would  never  want  to  eat  that  sugar!  "  But  it  was 
thrown  by  him  into  a  "  whizzer,"  and  when  the  machinery 
stopped,  and  the  sugar  had  been  shoveled  into  a  box,  the 
superintendent  took  up  some,  and  the  identical  ladies  who 
had  seen  the  process  pressed  forward  to  taste  it.  A  sage 
commented  thus:  "After  all,  do  not  the  fattest  cooks  knead 
the  best  bread?  And  in  many  European  bakeries  men  tramp 
barefooted  up  and  down  the  troughs  as  an  expeditious  mode 
of  kneading."  Having  gone  through  sugar  factories  in  the 
South,  and  canning  establishments  in  the  North,  such  an  inci- 
dent as  this  had  no  effect  upon  my  nerves,  and  I  enjoyed  eating 
the  sugar  more  than  I  would  highly  colored  confectionery. 

There  was  nothing  monotonous  in  the  scenery  of  the  Nile. 
Charles  Dudley  Warner  says  truly:  "The  scenes  are  never 
twice  alike.  The  combinations  vary,  the  desert  comes  near 
and  recedes,  the  mountains  advance  in  bold  precipices,  or  fall 
away."  The  living  tableaux  furnish  great  variety.  We  were 
never  out  of  sight  of  boats,  some  handsome  and  beautifully 
painted,  others  short  and  dirty,  and  upon  their  decks  men, 
women,  and  children,  "clothed  in  all  the  hues  of  heaven  and 
the  rags  of  earth." 


A  DIVERSIFIED  JOURNEY.  261 

We  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  first  dom  palms  we  had  seen,  after 
passing  the  ruins  of  Hermopolis.  They  differ  from  ordinary 
palms  in  the  fact  that  the  lower  part  of  the  stem,  which  is 
single,  divides  into  two  branches,  and  these  again  into  two. 
The  top  is  covered  with  large,  fan-shaped  leaves,  under  which 
the  fruit  grows.  When  ripe  it  resembles  gingerbread  in 
taste,  and  is  eaten  by  the  natives.  The  nut  that  grows  in  the 
center  is  so  hard  that  the  carpenters  of  Egypt  long  used  it  for 
the  socket  of  their  drills.  Before  it  is  fully  ripe  it  resembles 
horn,  but  the  inhabitants  of  Ethiopia,  who  utilize  everything, 
are  said  to  eat  it.  The  bluffs,  called  Gebel-Aboofayda 
twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  farther  up  the  river,  extend  along 
the  east  bank  about  ten  miles.  They  are  precipitous,  and 
cause  sudden  gusts  by  their  obstruction  of  atmospheric  cur- 
rents. Here  many  birds  and  wild  ducks  sailed  out  from  caves 
in  the  rocks.  On  the  top  of  those  rocks  are  pits  containing 
thousands  of  crocodile  mummies. 

At  length  Asyoot,  beautiful  for  situation,  appeared  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  river.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  province  of 
Asyoot,  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  and  a  half  miles  from 
Cairo  by  water,  and  a  few  miles  less  by  rail.  Its  population 
is  thirty-two  thousand.  The  course  of  the  river  for  ten  or 
twelve  miles,  with  its  sharp  turns  or  angles,  causes  the  city  to 
appear  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other.  The  Libyan 
mountains,  a  few  miles  behind  it,  glow  in  the  sunlight,  while 
many  river  views  and  bits  of  water,  appearing  like  small 
lakes  or  artificial  canals,  beautify  the  foreground.  This  city 
is  the  capital  of  Upper  Egypt.  Its  name  is  a  great  stumbling- 
block  to  travelers.  It  is  written  Asioot,  Asyoot,  Asiut,  Ssout, 
Sioout,  Osyoot,  Osioot,  O'Sioot,  Siiit,  Sioot,  O'Siout,  Si-66t, 
Siout,  Syouth,  and  so  on  indefinitely. 

Fifteen  minarets  could  be  counted  projecting  above  the 
groves  of  palm  and  acacia.  An  embankment,  ornamented 
with  trees,  extends  to  the  town,  which  is  entered  through  an 
old  gateway  and  courtyard,  forming  part  of  the  governor's 
palace.  At  Asyoot  the  market  presented  the  most  oriental 
view  of  such  a  scene  obtained  during  all  our  African  journeys. 
Men,  women,  children,  and  animals  were  crowded  in  seem- 
ingly inextricable  confusion.  The  people  looked  happy,  though 


262  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

they  were  so  jammed  that  there  was  scarce  room  for  our  little 
donkeys  to  go  through,  such  was  the  mass  of  camels,  donkeys, 
and  sacred  cows,  which,  like  many  other  alleged  sacred  things, 
are  common  and  even  unclean  when  visited  in  the  place  of 
their  nativity.  With  the  braying  asses,  growling  camels, 
bawling  cows,  cackling  fowls,  bellowing  buffalos,  vociferation 
of  buyers  and  sellers,  and  yells  of  water  carriers,  it  was  a 
veritable  Babel. 


ASYOOT    TO    THE    TEMPLE    OF    DENDERAH.  263 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 
Asyoot  to  the  Temple  of  Denderah. 

Bazaars  and  Market  Place — Starting  Point  of  English  Expedition  to  the 
Soudan — Ancient  Lycopolis — Evidences  of  Roman  Occupation — Mission  of 
United  Presbyterian  Church — Ophthalmia  Prevalent  in  Egypt — Scenes  at 
Farshoot  and  Keneh — The  Temple  of  Denderah. 

THE  bazaars  are  superior  to  most  outside  of  Cairo.  The 
articles  sold  are  brought  from  Cairo  and  all  parts  of  Egypt, 
Arabia,  Nubia,  and  Abyssinia.  In  former  times  caravans 
arrived  from  the  far  South  bearing  tropical  productions  and 
manufactures  of  the  equatorial  regions;  and  an  extensive  busi- 
ness was  done  with  the  Soudan,  which  for  the  most  part  has 
been  destroyed  by  the  wars  of  the  Mahdi  and  his  successors. 
The  red  and  black  pottery  of  Asyoot  is  of  wide  celebrity.  In 
the  market  place  a  multitude  of  jars  of  the  inferior  sort  was 
offered  for  sale,  and  in  the  bazaars  the  finest  work.  The 
caravans  from  Darfoor  formerly  brought  cinnamon,  gum 
arabic,  tusks,  and  ostrich  feathers.  We  saw  a  small  caravan. 
The  acacia  trees  furnish  the  true  gum  arabic,  which  slowly 
exudes  through  the  bark. 

The  city  was  practically  the  starting  point  of  the  English 
expedition  to  the  Soudan  in  1884.  Stores  for  the  army  were 
brought  by  railway,  and  conveyed  to  the  Second  Cataract  by 
steam  and  sail.  Eight  hundred  rowboats,  which  took  the 
English  troops  over  the  difficult  pass  of  the  river  south  of 
Wady  Halfah,  were  placed  in  the  Nile  at  this  point. 

Here  stood  the  ancient  Lycopolis,  the  City  of  Wolves. 
The  wolf  was  counted  sacred  by  the  people,  and  these  animals 
were  numerous  in  the  neighborhood.  In  the  caves  and  the 
recesses  of  the  rocks  in  the  Libyan  mountains  wolf  mummies 
can  still  be  found.  WTe  came  upon  several  which  at  the  time 
we  supposed  to  be  dogs.  Mummy  jackals  also  are  there; 
visitors  to  the  British  Museum  can  see  the  best  preserved 
specimens.  Our  ride  to  the  tombs  and  the  grottoes  abun- 


264  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

dantly  repaid  us.  We  ascended  the  spurs  of  the  Libyan 
mountains  and  saw  catacombs  with  vaulted  ceilings,  ele- 
gantly sculptured,  which  a  critic  says  might  be  taken  for 
Greek  patterns  if  one  did  not  know  that  the  ceiling  is  older 
than  Greek  art. 

Evidences  of  Roman  occupation  remain.  During  the  earlier 
Christian  ages  these  tombs  were  occupied  by  Christians,  some 
of  whom  fled  from  persecution,  and  others  resorted  thither  to 
lead  lives  of  monkish  solitude.  When  Theodosius  the  Chris- 
tian was  desirous  to  discover  the  will  of  God  he  could  not,  after 
the  manner  of  his  pagan  ancestors,  consult  the  oracle  at 
Delphi,  but  heard  of  a  monk  in  Egypt  supposed  to  have  the 
gift  of  miracles  and  the  power  of  reading  the  future.  Accord- 
ing to  tradition,  he  sent  Eutropius  from  Constantinople  to 
Alexandria,  whence  he  ascended  the  Nile  to  Lycopolis.  Here 
a  holy  monk,  named  John,  dwelt  in  the  side  of  the  mountain, 
in  a  cell  where  he  lived  fifty  years  "  without  opening  his  door, 
without  seeing  the  face  of  a  woman,  and  without  tasting  any 
food  that  had  been  prepared  by  fire  or  any  human  art."  He 
spent  five  days  in  prayer  and  meditation ;  on  Saturdays  and 
Sundays  he  opened  a  window  and  gave  audience  to  the  sup- 
pliants who  came  from  all  parts  of  the  Christian  world.  He 
gave  Theodosius  a  favorable  answer  which  is  said  to  have  been 
fulfilled. 

I  visited  an  institution  not  mentioned  by  Charles  Dudley 
Warner  or  referred  to  by  Miss  Edwards,  but  which  is  worthy 
of  the  attention  of  any  who  propose  to  describe  a  country  as 
it  is — the  Mission  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  of  North 
America.  The  college  buildings  are  commodious,  eligibly 
situated,  a  little  out  of  town,  on  a  broad  lawn  surrounded  by 
gardens.  Here  more  than  four  hundred  students  are  annually 
instructed.  They  are  mostly  Copts,  though  a  considerable 
number  of  Mohammedans  are  among  them. 

Most  of  the  officers  were  absent  attending  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  Mission,  but  we  were  courteously  received.  This 
college  has  by  genuine  merit  secured  the  high  approbation  of 
all  who  know  anything  of  its  work. 

Ophthalmia  prevails  in  Egypt,  the  majority  of  the  people 
being  more  or  less  affected  by  it.  The  number  of  one-eyed 


ASYOOT    TO    THE    TEMPLE    OF    DENDERAH.  265 

persons  and  of  those  with  acutely  diseased  eyes  is  so  great 
that  Miss  Edwards  affirms  that  as  many  as  one  in  twenty  of 
the  persons  in  certain  districts  are  blind  or  partly  so,  and  that 
she  saw  so  many  children  of  four  or  five  years  old  with  the 
surface  of  one  or  both  eyes  eaten  away  that  she  had  not  been 
many  weeks  on  the  Nile  before  she  began  to  avoid  syste- 
matic exploring  of  native  towns  whenever  it  was  practicable  to 
do  so. 

We  had  an  instructive  but  painful  opportunity  of  seeing  how 
prevalent  this  disease  is.  Professor  Hirschberg,  an  oculist  of 
Berlin,  called  some  of  the  students  into  a  room  and  made  an 
examination  of  their  eyes  as  a  part  of  his  study  of  the  subject 
of  ophthalmia.  Not  one  of  the  fifteen  had  a  thoroughly  sound 
eye;  some  were  blind  in  one  eye,  two  were  hopelessly  diseased, 
and  the  remainder  in  various  degrees  of  imperfection,  several 
of  whom,  without  attention,  would  in  his  opinion  soon  become 
totally  blind.  Everything  about  the  college  was  scrupulously 
clean  and  neat.  We  were  informed,  soon  after  arriving,  that 
Dr.  Isaac  G.  Bliss,  for  nearly  forty  years  missionary  of  the 
American  Board,  and  at  the  head  of  the  Bible  House  in  Constan- 
tinople, who,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  was  making  a  journey 
through  Egypt  for  his  health,  had  been  taken  ill,  and  was 
supposed  to  be  dying.  The  young  gentleman  who  traveled 
with  me  was  a  fellow-student  of  a  son  of  Dr.  Bliss  in  Amherst 
College,  and  bore  from  the  young  man  to  his  father  a  letter 
of  introduction,  which  he  intended  to  present  in  Constanti- 
nople. Their  forebodings  were  fulfilled  by  the  event,  for  Dr. 
Bliss  died  that  day,  and  holy  men  bore  him  to  his  burial  place, 
by  the  side  of  Dr.  Hogge,  the  founder  of  the  Mission,  in  a 
cemetery  just  outside  the  city,  given  by  a  wealthy  Mohamme- 
dan who  had  been  converted  to  Christianity. 

When  we  left  Asyoot  the  scenery  began  to  take  on  a  trop- 
ical aspect.  The  heat  was  intense;  the  air,  however,  as  dry 
as  the  broiling  sun  and  the  hot  sands  of  the  desert  could  make 
it.  The  heavy  evaporation  from  the  Nile  did  not  appear  to 
moisten  it  eighteen  inches  from  the  water.  In  the  morning 
it  was  impossible  to  sit  upon  the  eastern  side  of  the  boat,  or 
on  the  western  side  in  the  afternoon.  The  absence  of  humid- 
ity made  the  temperature  endurable. 


266  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Farshoot  we  caught  glimpses  of  flocks  of 
sheep  guarded  by  the  Howara  dogs,  famous  from  ancient 
times — large,  fierce-looking,  with  rough  black  coats,  and  a 
courage  unsurpassed  by  any  breed  of  dogs  in  the  world. 
Groves  of  palms  and  acacia  trees  lined  the  banks. 

At  Keneh  we  made  the  usual  visits  to  the  bazaars,  tasted 
the  excellent  dates,  and  saw  the  manufactories  of  porous 
water  jars  and  bottles. 

There  and  elsewhere  we  were  astonished  to  see  the  enor- 
mous weight  which  in  water  jars  the  women  would  bear  on 
their  heads.  No  one  who  sees  an  Egyptian  woman  carry 
these  can  fail  to  recognize  the  connection  between  walking 
with  a  weight  upon  the  head  and  the  most  graceful  carriage. 
Egyptian  women  have  a  bearing  which  the  women  of  other 
countries  might  covet.  A  friend  informed  me  that  he  had 
seen  women  of  ordinary  size  who  could  uplift  water  jars  weigh- 
ing one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds,  and  walk  a  long  dis- 
tance with  them  without  the  slightest  difficulty. 

The  Temple  of  Denderah  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  preserva- 
tion; much  of  it  hardly  deserves  to  be  called  a  ruin.  Here,  for 
the  first  time,  an  unpleasant  peculiarity  of  the  tour  appeared. 
Our  dragoman  was  not  an  archaeologist  or  an  Egyptologist,  but 
he  knew  thoroughly  what  he  had  been  taught,  could  recite  it  dis- 
tinctly, and  his  interlocutory  remarks  were  amusing.  Two  pas- 
sengers, one  an  Englishman  and  the  other  a  German,  had  formed 
their  ideas  from  books,  and  were  continually  contradicting  and 
puzzling  the  conductor.  The  majority  knew  only  what  they  had 
read  in  a  general  way,  and  wished  to  have  Abraham  unfold  his 
story.  They  were  there  to  be  led,  not  to  make  reputations 
as  antiquarians,  or  to  contend  with  Wilkinson,  Mariette,  Lep- 
sius,  and  other  authorities.  These  men,  however,  so  contra- 
dicted him,  for  a  considerable  part  of  the  time,  that  he  did  not 
know  what  to  say,  and  the  tourists  generally  were  in  confusion. 
At  the  end  it  became  necessary  to  administer  heroic  treatment 
to  these  untimely  combatants;  their  pertinacity  was  frowned 
upon  until  it  gradually  gave  way  to  more  decorous  conduct, 
which  desirable  consummation  was  hastened  by  several  egre- 
gious blunders  into  which  they  fell. 

Mariette   gives,  in  five  lines,  the  history  of  the  Temple  of 


ASYOOT    TO    THE    TEMPLE    OF    DENDERAH.  267 

Denderah:  "Its  foundations  were  laid  under  Ptolemy  the 
nth,  otherwise  Theodosius;  though  some  authorities  would 
make  it  Ptolemy  the  loth.  Its  construction  was  finished  un- 
der Tiberius  and  its  decoration  under  Nero.  Jesus  Christ  was 
living  at  Jerusalem  when  this  temple  was  being  completed." 

No  analogy  can  be  drawn  between  the  temple  and  any 
known  modern  church.  None  except  the  king  and  priests 
were  ever  allowed  to  enter.  Within,  in  total  darkness,  the 
fetes  were  celebrated  and  processions  organized.  The  dark- 
ness served  the  purpose  of  preserving  the  precious  objects, 
the  sacred  vestments,  from  ravages  of  insects  and  from  dust 
and  sun.  The  outline  drawings  and  the  coloring  in  the 
Temple  of  Denderah  are  unsurpassed.  Forty-two  names  of 
Osiris  are  found  on  the  forty-two  gnomes  on  the  ceiling. 
Hathor,  worshiped  there,  is  the  pupil  of  the  sun's  eye,  and 
therefore  the  Egyptians  made  her  the  Goddess  of  Beauty,  for 
they  put  beauty  chiefly  in  the  eyes.  She  has  many  beautiful 
titles;  and  personifies  the  harmony  of  the  world.  One  of  her 
names  is  Sothis,  the  equivalent  of  Sirius.  She  is  therefore  the 
goddess  who  governs  the  periodical  return  of  the  year,  an- 
nounces the  rising  of  the  river,  appears  at  the  eastern  horizon, 
and  foretells  the  renewal  of  nature. 


268  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Denderah  and  Nile  Experiences. 

Forgotten  Credentials — Chapel  of  Isis — Stories  of  the  Tentyrites — Inhabit- 
ants of  Orubos — The  Crocodile — The  Shadoof  and  Sakeeyah — Silence  in 
Egypt. 

WE  were  obliged  to  purchase  a  certificate  that  we  had  paid 
an  English  pound  toward  the  preservation  of  the  remains  in 
Egypt.  This  document,  beautifully  written,  was  placed  in 
our  hands,  and  we  were  required  to  show  it  when  called  for. 
Quite  a  number  of  tourists  who  had  duly  purchased  had  left 
the  credentials  on  the  ship.  Our  party,  with  prudence,  were 
provided,  but  we  were  not  disposed  to  enter  until  all  could  be 
admitted.  When  Abraham  arrived,  he  towered  over  the  un- 
fortunate guard  with  such  vigorous  ostentation  that  he  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  the  admission  of  the  delinquents,  on  pledg- 
ing his  honor  that  the  assistant  dragoman  should  immediately 
proceed  to  the  ship  and  procure  the  credentials.  The  guard, 
however,  was  not  entirely  subdued.  He  felt  that  he  must 
magnify  his  office,  and  made  us  as  uncomfortable  as  possible. 

We  ascended  the  broad  stone  terraces  which  possess  an 
aspect  of  dignity  and  grandeur  seldom  surpassed.  On  one 
gateway  is  a  representation  of  the  sun  with  its  sacred  emblem, 
the  hawk,  supported  by  two  gods.  In  the  chapel  of  Isis  we 
saw  the  figured  cow  before  which  the  Sepoys  prostrated  them- 
selves when  the  English  Indian  army  landed  in  Egypt  in  1800. 
Abraham  dwelt  upon  this,  and  avowed  the  opinion  that  the 
religions  were  identical;  but  it  has  been  well  said  that  the  ac- 
cidental worship  of  the  same  animal  in  Egypt  and  India  is  not 
sufficient  to  prove  any  direct  connection  between  the  two  re- 
ligions. 

I  went  as  deeply  into  these  mysteries  as  time,  reflection, 
books,  and  conversation  would  allow,  but  they  are  too  com- 
plex to  retain,  unless  one  gives  himself  to  a  special  and  con- 
tinuous study  of  them. 


DENDERAH  AND  NILE  EXPERIENCES. 


269 


On  the  walls  are  the  names  of  Augustus  and  of  his  four  suc- 
cessors in  the  empire,  Tiberius,  Caligula,  Claudius,  and  Nero. 
But  on  an  older  part 
of  the  structure  is  the 
name  of  the  Egyptian 
son  of  the  greatest  of 
the  Caesars,  together 
with  his  mother's,  the 
Egyptian  enchantress, 
Cleopatra.  Its  several 
portraits  of  Cleopatra 
attracted  more  atten- 
tion. 

To  the  southeast  of 
Denderah  are  grottoes 
and  numerous  tombs. 
Scattered  over  the  des- 
ert are  stones  that  were 
made  round  by  rolling. 
They  are  of  granite 
and  porphyry,  and 
show  traces  of  an  an- 
cient rush  of  waters. 

Of  the  Tentyrites, 
who  from  the  earli- 
est times  dwelt  here- 
abouts, extraordinary 
stories  are  told.  Pliny's 
Natural  History  con- 
tains several  which  de- 
lighted my  childhood, 
illustrating  realistic- 
ally their  marvelous 
power  over  the  croco- 


Cleopatra — Temple  of  Denderah. 


dile.  The  philosopher 
Seneca  did  not  think 
it  beneath  him  to  attempt  to  explain  their  control  over  them. 
He  accounted  for  it  by  the  contempt  and  consciousness  of 
superiority  they  felt  in  attacking  their  enemy,  and  adds  that 
15 


270  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

those  of  them  who  were  deficient  in  presence  of  mind  were 
frequently  killed.  On  this  an  English  writer,  reasoning,  says: 
''The  crocodile  is  in  fact  a  timid  animal.  Usually  it  flies  at 
the  approach  of  man,  and  only  ventures  to  attack  its  prey  on 
a  sudden."  He  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  we  seldom  or 
never  hear  of  persons  devoured  by  it,  unless  they  are  standing 
in  shallow  water  on  the  sloping  shore  of  a  river,  whereby  the 
immense  power  of  its  tail  is  able  to  throw  down  and  overcome 
the  strongest  man,  who,  being  carried  immediately  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  river,  has  neither  the  time  nor  the  means  to  resist. 

Abraham  related  an  amazing  story  of  a  man  who  was 
knocked  senseless  in  this  way,  and  the  crocodile  drew  him 
under  the  water;  but  when  it  was  supposed  that  he  was  prob- 
ably bisected  he  reappeared  and  floated  near  the  shore,  and 
on  being  restored  to  consciousness  said  he  drew  his  knife  and 
stabbed  the  crocodile.  This  could  not  be  believed ;  but  a  few 
days  later  the  body  of  the  crocodile  floated,  and  was  found  to 
have  a  stab  exactly  as  the  man  had  stated. 

While  the  Tentyrites  hated  the  crocodile,  their  neighbors, 
the  inhabitants  of  Ombos,  worshiped  it,  and  resented,  with  all 
the  rage  of  a  sectarian  feud,  the  killing  and  eating  of  "the 
godlike  animal."  The  reason  for  worshiping  the  crocodile  is 
supposed  to  be  that,  as  it  came  in  with  the  Nile,  it  became  the 
symbol  of  the  life-giving  water;  but  in  other  departments, 
which  had  too  much  water,  it  was  not  the  crocodile,  but  the 
ichneumon,  the  enemy  of  the  crocodile,  which  was  worshiped. 
The  ichneumon  is  a  curious  animal  the  size  of  an  ordinary  cat. 
Among  foreigners  it  goes  by  the  name  of  "Pharaoh's  Cat." 
It  lives  on  rats  and  mice,  birds  and  reptiles,  is  occasionally 
tamed,  and  serves  the  purpose  of  a  cat.  It  is  particularly  fond 
of  eggs,  and  as  the  crocodile  buries  its  eggs  in  a  thin  covering 
of  sand  on  the  river  banks,  and  the  ichneumon  destroys  them, 
the  ancient  Egyptians  regarded  it  as  sacred,  and  buried  it  in 
"holy  repositories! " 

The  crocodile  is  as  valuable  in  the  water  as  the  hyena  and 
vulture  upon  the  land.  It  lives  entirely  on  animal  food,  and 
prefers  tainted  to  fresh  meat;  therefore,  naturalists  say  that 
it  is  of  great  service  in  devouring  dead  animals  that  would 
otherwise  pollute  the  waters  and  the  surrounding  atmosphere. 


DENDERAH  AND  NILE  EXPERIENCES.  273 

Having  seen  both  alligators  and  crocodiles  in  Florida  and 
Louisiana,  I  hoped  to  see  a  crocodile  on  the  Nile,  but  one 
might  spend  years  there  and  not  find  one  below  the  First  Cat- 
aract. Only  a  few  years  ago  they  were  numerous. 

Charles  Dudley  Warner  saw  one.  Lord  Ducie  in  1872 
killed  a  full-grown  specimen  fourteen  feet  long,  recovered  the 
carcass,  and  in  its  stomach  found  evidence  that  it  was  a  child 
eater.  This  was  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles  north 
of  the  First  Cataract,  and  not  far  from  this  point. 

Mariette  explains  that  the  reason  we  do  not  find  them  now  is 
because  the  crocodile  is  driven  farther  and  farther  south  by 
the  firearms  of  travelers  and  the  constant  passing  of  steamers. 
Similar  treatment  is  driving  out  the  alligators  in  the  Southern 
States. 

A  picturesque  and  never  monotonous  spectacle  to  the  Nile 
traveler  is  the  working  of  the  various  machines  employed  to 
irrigate  the  land  during  the  time  of  low  water.  The  principal 
is  the  shadoof.  This  machine  is  the  oldest  with  which  the 
race  is  historically  acquainted,  and  it  is  maintained  that  in  no 
invention  in  modern  times  is  the  result  so  great  in  proportion 
to  the  degree  of  power  employed.  The  best  and  briefest  de- 
scription that  we  have  seen  represents  it  as  consisting  of  two 
posts,  about  five  feet  in  height  and  three  apart,  connected 
at  the  top  by  a  horizontal  bar;  across  this  is  slung  the  branch 
of  a  tree,  having  at  one  end  a  weight  composed  of  mud,  and 
at  the  other,  suspended  by  two  palm  sticks,  a  bucket  made  of 
basket  work,  matting,  or  a  hoop  with  woolen  stuff  or  leather. 
This  is  worked  by  one  man.  Goatskin  buckets  are  often 
used.  The  man  who  operates  it  stands  on  the  edge  of  the 
river;  before  him  is  a  hole  full  of  water  fed  from  the  stream. 
He  takes  hold  of  the  cord  by  which  the  empty  bucket  is  sus- 
pended, and,  bending  down,  by  the  weight  of  his  shoulders 
dips  it  in  the  water;  he  then  rises,  with  his  hands  still  on  the 
cord ;  this  gives  the  bucketful  of  water  an  upward  movement, 
and  the  weight  strung  on  the  other  end  of  the  pole  presses 
downward  and  it  is  lifted  over  to  a  trough,  into  which,  as  it 
tilts,  the  water  is  poured. 

One  man  can  run  this  machine  and  lift  water  from  six  to 
eight  feet.  The  men  keep  on  all  day,  gracefully  bowing  and 


274  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

rising.  Their  feet  are  in  the  water  and  their  heads  in  the  sun; 
they  wear  little  clothing — a  flesh-colored  cloth  around  the 
loins,  and  a  tight-fitting  skullcap.  As  the  river  sinks  it  is 
necessary  to  have  a  series  of  shadoofs,  and  in  the  course  of 
our  journey  we  often  saw  two  or  three,  and  sometimes  five, 
one  above  the  other.  In  this  case  the  one  nearest  the  river 
throws  the  water  up  into  a  hole;  the  second  takes  it  from  that 
to  a  rude  reservoir;  the  third  into  still  another;  and  so  on 
until  the  last,  from  which  it  is  emptied  into  the  trough. 

The  other  machine  is  the  sakeeyeh.  This  is  a  wheel,  some- 
times as  much  as  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter.  Around  its 
circumference  earthen  pots  are  tied  by  cords.  There  is 
another  small  wheel  with  cogs  fixed  to  the  axis,  and  a  large 
horizontal  cogged  wheel.  This  is  turned  by  one  or  two  buf- 
faloes, cows,  or  other  animals,  sets  the  other  two  wheels  in 
motion,  and  raises  the  water  in  the  pots.  This  is  frequently 
used  for  gardens  along  the  shore.  Some  of  the  water  wheels 
in  use  in  the  Fayoum  admit  of  being  turned  by  the  weight  of 
the  water.  The  sakeeyeh  much  resembles  the  chain  pump, 
once  common  in  the  United  States. 

Travelers  are  in  the  habit  of  complaining  of  the  frightful- 
noise  made  by  these  machines,  which  are  never  greased,  and 
produce  now  a  frightful  groan,  then  a  growl  resembling  that 
of  a  camel ;  sometimes  a  shrill,  prolonged  shriek,  like  that  of 
a  hound  chained  in  a  kennel  in  the  corner  of  a  barn;  but 
I  never  found  it  wearisome,  and  could  readily  understand  that 
it  was  music  in  the  ears  of  the  \>QQ?  fellahs  who  operate  the 
machines. 

Egypt  is  the  quietest  country  in  the  world;  when  the  wind 
does  not  blow  the  silence  is  appalling.  There  are  few  trees; 
few  vehicles  traveling  over  the  road  to  make  a  noise;  and  if 
there  were,  their  passage  over  the  soft  sand  would  be  noise- 
less. A  healthy  nervous  system  requires  some  noise  the  greater 
part  of  the  time;  and  silent  work,  a  great  authority  declares, 
is  far  more  taxing  than  that  which  is  accompanied  by  a  mod- 
erate amount  of  racket. 


THEBES.  275 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 
Thebes. 

Approaching  Thebes — Situation — History — Village  of  Luxor — Ruins  and  Vil- 
lage Life  Contrasted — "  Father  Abraham's  "  Knowledge  of  Antiquities — 
"  Antiquity  Smith  " — Avenue  of  Sphinxes — Karnak — Description  of  Great 
Temple — Weird  Scene. 

As  we  sailed  from  Denderah,  enthusiastic  in  its  praises,  an 
experienced  traveler,  pointing  southward,  said  with  a  signifi- 
cant smile,  "  Wait!  " 

Long  before  reaching  renowned  Thebes,  majestic  ruins,  ex- 
tending for  miles  in  every  direction,  and  the  lofty  Libyan  and 
more  distant  Arabian  mountains  came  into  sight.  We  gazed 
upon  them  with  a  curiosity  which  both  stimulated  and 
subdued,  aware  that  here  the  grandest  of  the  world's  ruins 
culminate  in  a  sublimity  before  which  warriors,  sages,  phi- 
losophers, historians,  and  travelers  of  every  nation  reverently 
bow,  rising  to  ask  who  were  those  mighty  beings,  what  was  the 
purpose  of  their  colossal  creations,  how  were  they  achieved, 
and  what  has  caused  such  a  race  to  disappear  from  the  face 
of  the  earth? 

Thebes,  whose  ruins  fascinate,  appall,  stun,  defying  the  im- 
agination, confounding  the  reason,  justifies  the  statement  of 
Belzoni,  that  it  appeared  to  him  "like  entering  a  city  of  the 
giants,  who  after  a  long  contest  had  all  been  destroyed,  leav- 
ing their  vast  temples  as  the  only  proofs  of -their  existence." 
To  form  any  idea  of  the  city  the  first  fact  to  fix  in  the  mind  is 
that  Thebes  extended  many  miles  on  both  banks  of  the  river 
Nile,  just  as  St.  Petersburg  occupies  both  sides  of  the  Neva, 
London  of  the  Thames,  Paris  of  the  Seine,  Florence  of  the 
Arno,  and  Philadelphia  of  the  Schuylkill.  The  Nile  is  much 
wider  than  the  Thames,  Seine,  or  Arno,  and  even  wider  than 
the  Neva.  Dean  Stanley  says:  "Alone  of  the  cities  of  Egypt 
the  situation  of  Thebes  is  as  beautiful  by  nature  as  by  art." 

The  Arabian  and  Libyan  mountains,  which  have  followed  the 


276  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

river  like  monotonous  walls  on  either  side,  always  near  them 
at  varying  distances,  now  form  a  circle  whose  diameter  is  so 
great  as  to  produce  a  wide  plain  which,  well  inundated  and 
irrigated  at  the  season  of  the  year  when  we  were  there,  was 
green  and  beautiful.  At  its  northern  extremity  the  Lib- 
yan mountains  become  elevated  and  massive,  the  Arabian 
being  ten  or  twelve  miles  distant,  and  over  all  this  vast  plain 
spread  the  great  city  of  Thebes.  Mariette  says  that  Thebes 
makes  her  first  appearance  in  history  with  the  kings  of  the 
eleventh  dynasty,  which  he  puts  3,064  years  before  the  birth  of 
Christ.  Brugsch  assigns  it  to  2500  B.  C. ,  while  Wilkinson 
would  make  it  only  1784  B.  C. 

Not  until  the  eighteenth  dynasty  does  the  real  glory  of 
Thebes  begin.  Amenophis  I  extended  the  boundaries  of 
Egypt.  Thothmes  I  carried  them  into  Syria,  and  introduced 
the  horse  into  Egypt.  In  the  reign  of  Thothmes  II  Egypt 
"placed  its  frontier  where  it  pleased,"  and  Amenophis  III 
carried  his  arms  far  into  the  Soudan.  The  nineteenth  dynasty 
was  also  one  of  great  glory.  Sethi,  or  Meneptah  I,  erected 
many  magnificent  monuments  in  Thebes,  and  his  tomb  is  the 
most  remarkable  of  all  identified  there.  In  this  dynasty  ap- 
peared Rameses  II  in  a  splendid  reign  of  sixty-seven  years. 
He  placed  his  name  upon  nearly  every  important  monument  in 
Egypt,  and  the  history  of  his  career  is  most  frequently  found 
in  inscriptions  and  papyrus  rolls.  He  erected  many  of  the 
edifices  now  most  splendid  ruins.  In  the  twentieth  dynasty  is 
enrolled  Rameses  III,  "the  last  of  the  famous  warrior  kings  of 
Egypt."  He  established  intercourse  by  land  and  sea  with  the 
countries  on  the  shores  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  His  successors 
all  bore  the  name  of  Rameses,  but  with  that  dynasty  the  glory 
of  Thebes  begins  visibly  to  decline. 

Amenophis  had  built  at  Karnak  a  portion  of  a  temple,  now 
destroyed,  and  his  statue,  of  huge  proportions,  still  adorns  the 
southwest  front  of  the  third  entrance  to  the  south.  Thothmes  I 
began  in  front  of  the  sanctuary  the  series  of  halls,  pylons,  and 
obelisks.  Under  Thothmes  III  and  Amenophis  III  Thebes 
greatly  increased  in  population  and  size,  and  Sethi  I  sum- 
moned sculptors  and  engravers  from  all  parts  of  Egypt  to 
carve  his  history  upon  the  monuments  of  Thebes.  He  erected 


THEBES.  277 

seventy-eight  out  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  columns  of 
the  great  hall  of  columns  at  Karnak.  Rameses  II  did  but 
little  in  Karnak. 

At  last,  after  various  ravages,  desecrations,  and  restorations, 
Ptolemy  Lathyrus  laid  siege  to  Thebes  and  sacked  it,  since 
which  it  has  had  no  place  in  history.  Its  downfall  was  com- 
plete before  the  time  of  Christ,  and  "  Strabo  found  nothing 
remaining  of  Thebes  but  a  collection  of  villages  assembled 
over  its  ruins." 

Luxor  is  now  a  market  town.  Its  temple  is  said  by  some 
antiquarians  to  offer  but  slight  interest  to  the  visitor,  but  I 
cannot  agree  with  this  disparaging  view.  The  plan  of  the 
temple  is  peculiar  and  pleasing  in  its  very  irregularity,  which 
is  supposed  to  have  originated  from  the  fact  that  it  rises  ab- 
ruptly from  the  edge  of  the  river,  and  was  constructed  to 
follow  its  windings.  It  is  less  striking  than  it  would  be  if  a 
considerable  part  of  the  grand  court  had  not  been  occupied  by 
an  ugly  mosque. 

The  village  of  Luxor  is  adjacent  to  the  ruins  of  the  temple, 
many  of  the  houses  actually  within.  Two  towers  without  their 
cornices,  and  surrounded  by  debris,  are  commanding,  and  made 
more  so  by  the  Colossus  on  each  side  of  the  central  gateway. 
One  of  the  obelisks  is  of  red  granite,  covered  with  hiero- 
glyphics, cut  in  many  instances  two  inches  in  depth.  It  is 
about  eighty-four  feet  high.  Visitors  to  Paris  have  seen, 
in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  its  companion,  which  is  seventy- 
seven  feet  high. 

The  sitting  statues  of  Rameses  received  but  a  glance  as  we 
passed  on  to  look  at  the  battle  scenes  on  the  front  of  the  two 
towers. 

The  hall  within  was  nearly  two  hundred  feet  by  one  hundred 
and  seventy,  and  the  length  of  the  colonnade  and  the  next 
court  was  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet.  The  inscriptions 
depict  chariots,  kings'  chariots  being  shaded  by  umbrellas, 
horses,  and  spoils  taken  from  enemies. 

Few  kings  did  anything  for  Luxor  except  to  engrave  their 
names  on  parts  of  the  wall  that  had  been  left  blank  by  their 
predecessors.  Some  restored  a  portion  of  the  temple.  The 
contrast  is  complete  between  these  ruins  and  the  curious  life 


278  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

of  the  village  of  Luxor.  On  the  edge  were  dogs,  camels, 
donkeys,  geese,  chickens,  pigeons,  turkeys,  all  making  their 
characteristic  sounds;  naked  children,  women  working  and 
walking  in  lanes  that  run  among  the  ruins;  the  human  be- 
ings as  unconscious  of  the  glory  of  their  ancestors  as  the 
brutes  are  of  the  signification  of  the  hieroglyphics  on  the 
temples.  According  to  the  law  all  excavations  are  forbidden 
in  Egypt,  yet  travelers  constantly  demand  antiquities  as  sou- 
venirs. Our  companions  purchased  largely,  though  with  the 
exception  of  comparatively  common  remains  there  was  little 
reason  to  believe  in  the  genuineness  of  any  of  the  statu- 
ettes, stela  (inscribed  tablets  of  granite  and  other  stone),  and 
scarabai  (sacred  beetles).  Some  of  the  manufacturers  can 
imitate  the  genuine  with  such  skill  as  occasionally  to  deceive 
experienced  antiquarians.  Our  dragoman  dealt  in  antiquities, 
and  claimed  the  ability  to  detect  the  spurious.  To  test  him, 
a  tourist  secured  one  of  the  skillful  imitators  to  manufacture  a 
statuette.  This  the  traveler  kept  for  twenty-four  hours,  and 
then  exhibited  it  to  "  Father  Abraham,"  as  our  conductor  was 
familiarly  called,  asking  him  its  age.  He  examined  it,  using 
tests  of  his  own,  and  answered  that  it  was  about  one  week 
old.  After  this  his  credit  rose  greatly,  and  he  had  no  difficulty 
in  selling  whatever  he  had  to  offer. 

I  made  inquiry  for  the  famous  "  Antiquity  Smith,"  who  lived 
twenty  years  an  exile  at  Thebes,  most  of  that  time  the  only 
foreign  resident  in  the  place.  Charles  Dudley  Warner  says 
that  he  "looked  like  a  superannuated  agent  of  the  Tract 
Society,  of  the  long,  thin,  shrewd,  learned  Yankee  type."  He 
was  born  in  Connecticut,  reared  in  New  Jersey,  and  lived  for 
seventeen  years  among  the  Arabs,  and  Mr.  Warner  justly  says: 
"  Few  men  have  enjoyed  his  advantages  for  sharpening  the 
wits."  But  Mr.  Smith  had  made  a  fortune  and  returned  to 
the  United  States,  leaving  the  reputation  of  being  sharper  than 
any  Arab  in  Egypt,  and  also  of  being  the  best  judge  of  antiq- 
uities, able  to  buy  them  at  the  lowest  and  sell  them  at  the 
highest  price. 

Having  finished  the  exploration  of  the  Temple  of  Luxor, 
we  mounted  our  donkeys  for  the  ride  to  Karnak,  about  two 
and  a  half  miles.  The  plain  seemed  wider  than  it  was,  because 


THEBES.  279 

the  Nile  was  not  in  sight.  There  were  a  few  hills,  and  a  large 
part  of  the  country  was  sterile.  Clusters  of  dwarf  palms  and 
many  sycamores  relieved  the  monotony. 

In  due  time  we  reached  the  Avenue  of  the  Sphinxes,  about 
a  mile  in  length,  named  so  because  originally  bordered  with 
Sphinxes,  of  which  a  number  remain.  Generally  they  have 
the  head  of  a  woman  on  a  lion's  body,  and  between  their  fore- 
feet is  a  statue  of  Amenophis  III. 

Farther  on  the  Sphinxes  have  rams'  heads,  on  which  account 
it  is  cilled  the  Avenue  of  the  Crio-Sphinx. 

In  a  straight  line  Karnak  is  said  to  be  two  miles  from  Luxor, 
and,  estimating  the  intervals  between  the  Sphinxes  destroyed 
and  those  standing,  it  is  concluded  that  there  must  have  been 
two  hundred  and  fifty  on  each  side  of  the  road.  Some  Sphinxes 
are  ten  feet  in  length.  On  reaching  the  Propylon,  or  grand 
gateway,  we  saw  at  once  why  Karnak  is  described  as  the  most 
wonderful  pile  of  ruins  that  can  be  imagined.  The  temple  is 
a  monument  of  unparalleled  grandeur,  whose  proportions  and 
bewildering  mass  quite  overpower  the  imagination.  On  our 
various  visits  we  found,  too,  the  truth  of  the  saying,  "  That 
one  has  never  seen  enough  of  Karnak,  and  the  more  often  one 
visits  it  the  more  stupendous  it  appears." 

I  have  in  memory  a  perfect  picture  of  this  vast  pile.  Were 
I  an  artist  I  could  paint  it,  an  engraver  I  could  engrave 
it;  but  it  is  impossible  to  portray  it  in  words,  for  it  can- 
not be  comprehended  in  one  view.  Unity  of  plan  it  never 
had,  and  earthquakes  and  the  devastations  of  war  and  the 
slow  disintegration  of  time  have  obscured  its  original  out- 
lines. 

The  view  of  the  whole  is  grander  than  that  of  any  of  its 
parts,  though  none  of  these  are  insignificant,  and  many  are 
colossal.  The  gateway  is  three  hundred  and  seventy  feet  in 
breadth;  and  one  tower,  which  it  is  possible  to  ascend,  one 
hundred  and  forty  feet  in  height,  remains  standing,  and  from 
this  a  striking  view  of  the  whole  can  be  taken. 

The  court  has  been  well  styled  a  perfect  forest  of  magnificent 
columns.  The  temple  is  not  far  from  two  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence; its  walls  are  twenty-five  feet  thick  at  the  base,  and  eighty 
feet  high,  and  the  columns  just  referred  to  are  thirty-six  feet 


280  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

in  circumference,  and  covered  by  hieroglyphics,  with  capitals 
of  different  patterns,  richly  painted. 

There  are  eleven  temples  at  Karnak.  The  Great  Temple, 
the  work  of  many  kings,  is  a  considerable  distance  to  the 
north.  All  travelers  have  noticed  that  most  of  the  temples 
face  different  points  of  the  compass.  This  temple  looks 
toward  Luxor,  because  connected  with  it  by  the  Avenue  of 
Sphinxes. 

Here  was  an  excellent  opportunity  for  testing  the  keys 
which  antiquarians  have  devised  to  unlock  these  ancient  mys- 
teries. They  endured  the  test  as  we  stood  for  a  long  time  de- 
ciphering the  historic  inscriptions  upon  this  wonderful  portal 
of  Ptolemy.  At  last  we  entered  the  Great  Temple.  The 
high  Hypostyle  Hall  is  the  grandest  single  apartment  and  the 
most  spacious  ever  constructed  by  the  Egyptians.  A  critic 
says:  "  Figures  do  me  no  good;  when  you  say  that  the  hall  is 
two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  square,  I  know  nothing  about  it. " 
I  know  of  no  means,  however,  of  giving  the  size  of  a  ruin  but 
by  figures;  those  who  have  trouble  in  conceiving  the  space 
need  only  to  ascertain  the  dimensions  of  the  nearest  church  to 
obtain  a  standard  for  comparison.  This  wondrous  hall  meas- 
ures three  hundred  and  thirty-four  English  feet  by  one  hundred 
and  sixty-seven.  It  was  originally  covered,  daylight  being  ad- 
mitted only  by  grated  windows. 

The  external  south  wall  is  covered  by  bas-reliefs  of  historic 
significance.  The  principle  is:  "So  many  castellated  car- 
touches, so  many  localities  conquered."  A  little  farther  along 
is  an  entire  poem  composed  in  honor  of  Rameses  II.  On  the 
outer  wall  to  the  north  is  a  series  of  pictures  that  contain  the 
history  of  the  campaigns  of  Sethi  I  in  western  Asia. 

Leaving  the  hall  and  passing  between  the  towers,  a  list  is 
seen  of  the  donations  made  by  one  king  to  the  temple,  includ- 
ing a  large  number  of  precious  stones  and  metals. 

We  went  to  the  Hall  of  the  Obelisks  and  the  Fourteen  Col- 
umns. In  the  center  the  daughter  of  Thothmes  I,  who  was  re- 
gent until  her  brothers  succeeded,  raised  the  two  most  gigantic 
obelisks  which  exist;  one  lies  on  its  side,  the  other  (named 
Hatasou)  is  upright.  It  is  one  hundred  and  eight  feet  and  ten 
inches  high,  while  that  which  I  saw  at  Heliopolis  is  sixty-six 


THEBES. 


281 


feet  six  inches.  The  inscriptions  record  that  the  summit  of 
this  obelisk  was  covered  with  pure  gold,  and  that  the  whole 
was  gilded  from  top  to  bottom;  it  towers  still  amid  those 


Temple  of  Karnak. 

ruins  like  a  giant.  In  our  hands  we  carried  the  plans,  tables, 
interpretations;  but  our  dragoman  relieved  us  of  the  trouble  of 
identifying  except  in  disputed  cases.  I  was  very  much  inter- 


282  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

ested  in  the  descriptions  most  accurately  rendered  by  the  hier- 
oglyphic names  of  the  first  of  the  many  campaigns  of  Thothmes 
III.  It  is  in  fact  a  synoptical  table  of  the  Promised  Land 
made  two  hundred  and  seventy  years  before  the  Exodus.  The 
limits  are  almost,  though  not  precisely,  the  same  as  those  as- 
signed, in  the  tenth  chapter  of  Genesis,  to  the  land  of  Canaan. 

The  causes  of  the  ruin  of  Karnak  have  been  much  dis- 
cussed, and  different  hypotheses  adopted.  The  terrific  sieges 
to  which  it  was  subjected  (especially  by  Cambyses  and  the  Per- 
sians); the  revenge  of  Ptolemy,  who  laid  siege  to  Thebes  for 
seven  months,  and  when  it  finally  succumbed  surrendered  it 
to  rapine;  and  earthquakes  account  for  much  of  it.  But  it  is 
agreed  that  the  destruction  of  the  temple  is  primarily  the 
effect  of  the  faults  of  its  construction  and  of  its  relation  to  the 
Nile  and  the  plain.  The  water  of  the  Nile,  saturated  with 
niter,  finds  its  way  to  and  eats  the  bases  of  the  columns  until, 
as  Mariette  predicts,  the  time  may  be  foreseen  when  with  crash 
after  crash  the  columns  of  the  magnificent  Hypostyle  Hall, 
whose  bases  are  already  three  quarters  eaten  through,  will  fall 
as  have  fallen  the  columns  in  the  great  court. 

In  the  Temple  of  Karnak  was  a  tragic  figure  so  strange  and 
weird,  so  horrible  yet  fascinating,  as  to  surpass  the  wildest 
fancies  of  Dumas  or  Eugene  Sue.  It  thrilled,  repelled,  yet  held 
the  gaze  until  nature,  half-paralyzed  by  the  spectacle,  asserted 
itself  and  compelled  the  removal  of  the  object.  A  creature 
with  shaven  head,  in  the  form  of  a  human  being,  paralyzed, 
mute,  naked,  except  for  a  rag  tied  around  the  loins,  apparently 
seventy  years  of  age,  perchance  not  more  than  fifty,  perhaps 
nearly  one  hundred,  exactly  the  color  of  the  ruined  columns 
and  the  doorway,  crawled  out  from  under  the  broken  pillars 
and  huge  monoliths,  as  a  lizard  might  from  a  pile  of  stones. 
A  mumbling,  inarticulate  sound  came  from  his  lips;  he  moved 
sideways  and  tried  to  rise,  and  held  out  his  hands  for  alms; 
hatless,  he  turned  his  eyeballs  up  toward  the  sun,  and  as  the 
yellow  rays  fell  upon  him  and  upon  the  pillar  on  which  he 
leaned  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish  any  difference  in  shade. 
His  bronzed  skin  as  much  resembled  the  solid  stone  as  green 
insects  resemble  the  maple  leaf  upon  which  they  feed.  Yet 
this  was  human,  and  some  of  the  Egyptian  attendants  seemed 


THEBES.  283 

to  stand  in  awe  of  him,  and  hesitated  to  drive  him  into  the 
obscurity  whence  he  had  emerged.  When  two  endeavored 
to  remove  him,  he  exerted  what  strength  he  had  and  broke 
from  them,  falling  upon  the  ground,  and  moving  off  with  the 
sinuous  sideway  motion  with  which  he  had  approached;  but 
whenever  he  fell  his  hand  was  still  stretched  out  to  receive 
alms.  Nothing  human  have  I  ever  seen  in  collections  of  de- 
formities and  idiot  asylums  so  peculiar;  nothing  which  so 
appeared  to  efface  humanity  and  transform  man  into  beast. 


284  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Temples  and  Tombs    of  Thebes,  on   the   West  Bank    of 

the  Nile. 

Temple  of  Koornah — Approach  to  the  Rameseum — Sculptures  and  Statue  of 
Rameses — Ride  through  the  Plains — Temple  of  Ptolemy  Philopater — Bel- 
zoni's  Tomb. 

HAVING  completed  our  explorations  of  the  ruins  of  Luxor 
and  Karnak  we  crossed  the  river  and  proceeded  to  the  Tem- 
ple of  Koornah,  or  Goornah.  This  is  the  northernmost  ruin 
on  the  west  bank.  It  was  built  by  Sethi  I,  dedicated  to  the 
memory  of  his  father,  Rameses  I,  and  finished  by  Rameses 
II.  It  is  small  compared  with  the  others,  and  surrounded  by 
mounds  and  the  ruins  of  Arab  huts.  The  statue  and  shrine  of 
Amen-ra,  the  dedication  to  Rameses  II,  and  the  sculptures 
were  instructive. 

The  ride  to  the  remains  of  the  Temple  of  Rameses  II,  usu- 
ally designated  the  Rameseum,  was  through  cultivated  lands, 
passing  many  huts  and  several  villages.  Many  children  were 
naked ;  one,  about  ten  years  of  age,  whose  sole  garment  con- 
sisted of  a  shoe  string  tied  around  the  waist,  reminded  us  of 
a  sarcasm  upon  the  attire  of  certain  ladies  at  the  watering 
places,  said  to  wear  only  "a  sash  and  a  smile."  Adults  of 
both  sexes  could  be  seen  from  the  path,  whose  raiment  was 
similar  to  that  of  our  first  parents  before  they  resorted  to  fig 
leaves.  The  approach  to  the  Rameseum  was  majestic,  the 
mountains  forming  an  imposing  background,  against  which 
"colossal  caryatids  and  the  majestic  columns  stand  out  in 
golden  relief."  Rameses  II  must  have  been  pleased  with  this 
temple,  for  it  was  built  by  himself  and  in  his  own  honor. 

The  sculptures  are  all  historical;  the  scene  of  one  of  the 
principal  is  in  Syria,  being  at  a  point  in  the  northwest  part 
of  the  wilderness  of  Zin  not  far  from  Kadesh,  so  often 
spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures.  Here  a  multitude  had  arisen 
to  repel  the  invasion  of  Rameses.  The  sculptures  show 


TEMPLES  AND  TOMBS  OF  THEBES.  287 

that  his  escort  fled,  and  represent  Rameses  as  throwing  him- 
self into  the  midst  of  the  fight.  He  is  shown,  after  the  war, 
seated  on  his  throne  in  royal  state,  officers  congratulating  him; 
but  he  rebukes  them:  "Not  one  of  you  behaved  well  in  thus 
deserting  me." 

In  the  Rameseum  I  tried  to  imagine  the  proportions  of  the 
sublime  statue  of  Rameses.  The  original  statue  was  fifty-seven 
feet  and  five  inches  in  height.  It  was  a  monolith,  and  weighed 
upward  of  one  thousand  one  hundred  and  ninety-eight  tons. 
Of  it,  Stanley,  in  his  Sinai  and  Palestine,  says:  "  Nothing  that 
now  exists  in  the  world  can  give  any  notion  of  what  the  effect 
must  have  been  when  he  was  erect.  Nero,  towering  above  the 
Colosseum,  may  have  been  something  like  it,  but  he  was  of 
brass,  and  Rameses  of  solid  granite."  Rameses  was  conceived 
as  resting  in  awful  majesty,  "after  the  conquest  of  the  whole 
known  world."  When  we  consider  that  the  Arabs  scooped 
millstones  out  of  his  face,  some  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  size 
of  the  head,  and  of  the  hugeness  of  the  hands  resting  upon 
the  "elephantine  knees."  This  statue  was  brought  without 
railroads  and  without  vessels  all  the  way  from  Assouan.  Truly 
has  it  been  said:  "One  does  not  know  which  to  wonder  at  the 
more — the  patience  and  strength  of  those  who  brought  it  the 
entire  way  from  Assouan  to  serve  as  an  ornament  of  the  tem- 
ple, or  the  strength  and  patience  of  those  who  overthrew  the 
monster  and  laid  him  low."  I  should  have  been  glad  to  occupy 
two  or  three  days  in  examining  the  Temple  of  Rameses  III. 
It  is  large,  but  not  overwhelming;  constructed  on  a  simple  but 
beautiful  plan;  in  style  fascinating,  but  not  gloomy,  and  the 
pictures  are  easily  understood. 

Our  ride  through  the  plains  was  of  ceaseless  interest.  In  the 
distance  appeared  the  Nile,  the  temples  of  Luxor  and  Karnak, 
the  Arabian  and  Libyan  mountains;  also  the  fellaheen  at  work 
in  the  fields,  who  there  appeared  to  the  best  advantage,  "with 
fine,  oval  faces;  bright,  deepset,  black  eyes;  straight,  thick 
noses ;  large,  well-formed  mouths,  full  lips,  beautiful  teeth, 
broad  shoulders,  and  good-shaped  limbs."  The  farther  south 
we  went  the  more  beautiful  their  complexion  became.  In  the 
north  of  Egypt,  that  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Alexandria,  it  was 
light  and  tawny;  here  it  became  a  deep  bronze. 


288  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

I  confess  that  in  this  ride  only  occasionally  were  my 
thoughts  upon  the  present  population  of  Egypt.  The  count- 
less multitudes  that  marched  over  those  plains;  the  army  of 
workmen  employed  in  erecting  those  temples;  the  tremendous 
battles  in  which  Greek,  Roman,  and  savages  from  the  south, 
and  Cambyses  and  his  horde  from  Persia,  successively  strug- 
gled; the  appalling  earthquakes  which  completed  the  devasta- 
tion begun  by  man ;  the  ever-wonderful  river,  father  of  every 
green  thing  visible;  the  vast  encroaching  desert,  and  the  ab- 
solutely cloudless  sky,  white  and  dazzling,  with  only  the  faint- 
est tint  of  blue — these  filled  the  eye  and  mind,  and  this  was 
no  time  to  study  living  men. 

We  explored  an  old  cemetery,  behind  which  is  a  small 
temple  erected  to  Ptolemy  Philopater.  The  early  Christians 
inhabited  it,  and  various  inscriptions  left  by  them,  chiefly 
Coptic,  are  found  in  the  interior.  Architects  have  been  much 
interested  in  the  exposure,  by  the  rents  in  the  walls,  of  the 
wooden  dove-tailed  cramps  connecting  the  blocks  of  masonry. 
Those  Egyptians  understood  the  durability  of  different  sub- 
stances, and  knew  that  wood,  where  no  rain  falls,  if  the  stones 
are  closely  fitted  together,  would  last  for  ages,  and  here  are 
cramps,  made  of  sycamore  wood,  as  sound  as  when  first  put  in 
more  than  two  thousand  years  ago.  The  Egyptians  built  most 
of  their  temples  of  sandstone,  which  in  a  dry  climate  will  en- 
dure the  action  of  the  atmosphere  longer  than  limestone  or 
granite;  but  underground  they  used  limestone,  because  it  bet- 
ter endures  contact  with  the  salts  in  the  earth. 

The  path  to  the  tombs  was  for  a  considerable  distance 
through  a  barren,  desolate  valley,  utterly  blasted  by  the  heat 
of  the  sun.  In  any  other  part  of  the  world  I  should  have 
been  certain  that  great  floods  had  taken  place.  But  when  I 
remembered  the  fact  that  the  movements  of  sand  can  polish 
stones  as  effectively  as  rain  water  must  account  for  it,  I  found 
on  inquiry  that  storms  of  rain  do  occur  at  that  elevation,  and 
torrents  of  water  have,  though  at  long  intervals,  poured 
through  that  narrow  valley. 

The  tombs  are  called  Babel  Moolook,  or  the  Gates  of  the 
Kings.  They  are  long  passages,  enlarging  into  halls  and 
chambers,  and  penetrating  into  the  heart  of  the  mountain. 


Carvings  on  the  Rameseurn, 


TEMPLES  AND  TOMBS  OF  THEBES.  291 

The  custom  was,  as  soon  as  the  mummy  was  deposited,  to 
build  up  the  entrance  and  level  the  surrounding  rocks  to  hide 
all  traces  of  the  tomb.  In  the  eastern  valley  there  are  about 
twenty-five  tombs  open  for  exploration — not  all  of  kings.  We 
visited  five  or  six. 

The  first  is  the  tomb  of  Sethi  I,  now  known  as  Belzoni's  tomb, 
because  discovered  by  him.  We  descended  by  a  staircase  to 
the  depth  of  twenty-four  feet,  went  through  a  passage  twenty 
feet  long  by  nine  wide,  and  down  another  staircase  twenty-five 
feet.  Thence  through  two  doors  by  a  passage  twenty-nine  feet 
we  reached  a  chamber  twelve  feet  by  fourteen.  At  this  point 
was  a  pit  whose  inner  wall  was  composed  of  blocks  of  hewn 
stone;  it  was  originally  calculated  to  make  the  impression  that 
the  end  of  the  tomb  had  been  reached,  but  it  served  another  pur- 
pose, that  of  protecting  the  lower  part  of  the  tomb  from  rain 
water.  Belzoni  filled  this  pit  up;  for  the  hollow  sounds  of  the 
walls  of  masonry  and  the  apertures  aroused  his  suspicions.  The 
butt  of  a  tree  was  used  as  a  ram,  and  as  soon  as  the  breach  was 
effected  a  hall  twenty-six  feet  square,  its  roof  and  walls  dec- 
orated with  highly  finished  sculptures,  whose  colors  were  as 
distinct  and  vivid  as  though  they  had  not  been  completed  more 
than  a  week  or  two,  was  discovered.  Beyond  are  various  cham- 
bers filled  with  sculptures,  to  some  extent  mutilated  by  visitors, 
but  most  of  them  well  preserved.  Long  serpents  are  repre- 
sented as  gliding  hither  and  thither  through  the  rooms,  or 
erect  against  the  doorways. 

The  accepted  interpretation  of  these  things  is  that  they  are 
allegorical;  the  serpents  standing  at  the  portals,  darting  out 
venom,  are  guardians  of  the  gates  of  heaven;  and  underneath 
these  strange  representations  is  the  idea  that,  after  the  trials 
of  life,  the  soul,  purified,  becomes  part  of  the  divine  essence; 
the  tomb  is  the  emblem  of  the  voyage  of  the  soul  to  its  eternal 
abode,  where  the  pure  spirits  wander  over  the  regions  where 
stars  forever  shine.  They  relate  chiefly  to  Sethi,  who  was  the 
father  of  Rameses  II,  and  the  occupant  of  the  tomb.  Inscrip- 
tions, some  mysterious  and  inexplicable,  are  upon  the  walls. 
When  the  visitor  reaches  the  end  of  the  tomb  he  is  four  hun- 
dred and  seventy  feet  from  the  entrance  horizontally  and  one 
hundred  and  eighty  feet  below  perpendicularly. 
16 


292  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  tomb  of  Rameses  III  has  two  modern  names.  The  best 
known  is  Bruce's,  named  for  the  traveler  who  discovered  it; 
the  other,  the  Harper  tomb,  because  of  a  celebrated  picture  in 
one  of  the  chambers  of  the  main  building. 

The  process  of  cooking  and  kitchen  work  is  portrayed  in  one 
of  the  chambers;  men  cutting  up  joints  of  meat,  putting  them 
in  the  caldron  over  a  wood  fire,  pounding  in  a  mortar,  minc- 
ing meat;  men  kneading  with  their  feet,  or  kneading  bread 
with  the  hand.  In  all  there  are  six  chambers,  some  illustrat- 
ing farming,  others  Egyptian  furniture.  These  alone  would 
be  sufficient  to  demonstrate  that  the  people  were  highly  ad- 
vanced in  civilization.  The  picture  of  the  harpists  is  one  of 
the  best  known  in  all  Egypt,  for  many  copies  have  been  made. 
The  instruments  are  well  formed;  one,  if  not  both,  of  the 
minstrels  is  represented  as  blind. 

Emerging  from  the  tombs  the  tourists  divided  into  parties 
— those  who  returned  by  the  valley,  and  those  who  crossed  the 
mountain  chain. 


ASCENT  OF  THE  LIBYAN  MOUNTAINS.  293 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
Ascent  of   the  Libyan  Mountains. 

Barrenness  of  the  Mountains — View  from  Summit — The  Descent — Colossi — 
"  Vocal  Statue  of  Memnon." 

THE  sky  was  cloudless,  the  atmosphere  devoid  of  moisture, 
the  effect  from  the  heights  unique.  The  sky  seemed  blue, 
but  as  one  looked  at  it  the  background  appeared  a  brilliant 
black,  from  which  infinitesimal  rays  of  blinding  white  light  in- 
cessantly darted,  making  it  as  dazzling  as  the  intensest  electric 
light,  without  contrast  of  shadow.  The  mountains  were  utterly 
barren,  like  the  Alps  above  the  line  of  vegetation,  yet  more 
sterile,  for  I  have  never  found  in  Switzerland  (except  when 
within  a  few  hours  of  the  summit  of  Mont  Blanc)  a  spot 
where,  if  soil  could  be  reached,  some  slight  indications  of 
vegetation  could  not  be  discovered.  Here  heat,  sand,  rock, 
and  absence  of  moisture  made  impossible  even  incipient  vege- 
table life.  Could  one  imagine  a  hundred  thousand  buildings 
of  stone,  broken  into  pieces  of  different  proportions,  and  a 
million  cart  loads  of  sand  and  oblong  pebbles  deposited  at 
random,  the  winds  of  a  thousand  years  blowing  them  to  and 
fro,  gravitation  meanwhile  constantly  producing  a  conical 
form,  and  the  desert  restoring  what  was  lost  through  the  action 
of  the  wind,  and  water  at  rare  intervals  pouring  through  the 
ravines  and  down  the  mountain  sides,  he  could  form  some  idea 
of  the  scene. 

The  height  of  the  loftiest  may  not  have  been  more  than  a 
thousand  feet,  but  the  effect  was  that  of  four  times  the  alti- 
tude, for  they  rise  abruptly  from  the  plain,  as  Gibraltar  from 
the  sea.  The  most  beautiful  view  in  Egypt  was  before  us. 
When  we  stood  upon  the  highest  peak,  westward  was  the  great 
Libyan  desert  extending  to  Sahara.  It  was  appalling  to  con- 
sider that  a  bewildered  traveler  might  wander  there  for  months 
and  never  see  a  human  face.  One  afloat  in  the  sea  might  be 
carried  to  the  shore  by  friendly  tides  and  waves,  but  there  are 


^94  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

no  currents  in  the  desert.  The  prairies  of  the  West  and  the 
the  steppes  of  Russia,  when  the  winds  blow  and  the  tall  grass 
waves,  resemble  the  billows  of  the  ocean;  but  wind  upon  the 
desert  renders  all  things  invisible. 

Before  us  lay  the  plain  of  Thebes,  over  which  we  had  passed; 
at  a  distance  of  a  few  miles,  the  Nile,  whose  immediate  back- 
ground was  the  verdant  landscape;  beyond,  the  columns  of 
the  Temple  of  Luxor,  and  the  ruins  of  Karnak.  With  the 
eye  resting  on  the  temple,  the  remote  plain  was  like  a  prodig- 
iously magnified  picture  of  the  full  moon;  the  sand  having  a 
silvered  gold  effect,  and  the  villages  and  ruin,  reduced  to  an 
apparent  level  with  the  plain,  resembling  the  darker  surfaces 
of  the  "Queen  of  Night." 

Distant  twenty  miles  the  Arabian  mountains  stand  perpen- 
dicular against  the  sky.  I  tried  to  organize  a  party  to  ex- 
plore them,  but  without  success;  a  proposed  moonlight  ex- 
cursion to  Karnak,  which  would  have  been  jeoparded  by  the 
time  such  a  trip  would  have  required,  proving  an  insuperable 
obstacle. 

On  descending  our  sufferings  from  the  heat  were  intense. 
My  traveling  companion  alarmed  me  by  his  appearance,  as 
well  as  by  unaccountable  weakness  and  pain  in  the  head. 
The  few  ladies  who  had  chosen  to  make  the  ascent  regretted 
it.  Our  donkeys  and  guides,  accustomed  to  the  climate,  did 
not  suffer;  even  the  little  water  girls,  carrying  large  porous 
jars,  ran  up  and  down  the  mountain  sides  as  cheerfully  as 
though  playing  in  a  garden. 

On  reaching  the  plain  we  rode  directly  to  the  Colossi,  which 
had  been  in  sight  all  the  morning,  and  which  to  some  were 
more  interesting  than  any  of  the  temples  or  tombs  already 
visited.  They  are  statues  fifty  feet  in  height,  standing  upon 
pedestals  ten  or  twelve  feet,  and  the  Nile  has  deposited  soil 
to  a  height  of  more  than  seven  feet  around  them,  and 
during  the  inundation  they  are  surrounded  by  water.  When 
erected  they  consisted  of  a  single  stone,  and  both  repre- 
sented Amenophis  III.  The  temple,  before  which  they  stood 
in  the  attitude  of  guardians,  has  disappeared.  It  was  built 
of  limestone,  and  was  torn  down  and  burned  in  the  neigh- 
boring limekiln.  These  Colossi  are  of  breccia,  a  "  kind  of 


ASCENT  OF  THE  LIBYAN  MOUNTAINS.  297 

pudding  stone  mixed  with  agate-like  pebbles,"  and  having  no 
value  as  lime,  have  b~en  spared. 

One  of  these  monoliths  met  with  an  accident  which  made  it 
more  famous  than  otherwise  it  could  have  been.  The  more 
northerly  and  renowned  is  the  Colossus  of  Memnon,  or  "  vocal 
statue  of  Memnon."  The  tradition  is  that  a  sound  issued 
from  it  at  the  rising  of  the  sun.  It  was  simply  known  as  the 
statue  of  Amenophis  until  an  earthquake,  supposed  to  have 
occurred  in  the  year  B.  C.  27.  At  that  time  were  broken  off 
the  head,  upper  part  of  the  arms,  and  body.  Some  say  that 
this  was  not  done  by  an  earthquake,  but  by  the  fury  of  Cam- 
byses,  the  Persian,  and  others  attributed  it  to  Ptolemy  Lathy- 
rus.  Pliny  and  Juvenal  and  other  classic  writers  refer  to  this 
statue. 

There  is  no  record  of  the  sound  having  been  heard  when  it 
was  entire,  but  there  are  many  witnesses  to  its  occurrence  sub- 
sequently. They  represent  that  it  appeared  to  come  from  the 
trunk,  and  was  a  sonorous  ringing  tone,  resembling  a  human 
voice,  and  heard  only  when  the  first  rays  of  the  morning  sun 
fell  upon  the  statue.  Strangers  visited  it  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  and  when  they  heard  the  note  made  an  inscription  to 
that  effect  upon  the  huge  legs  of  the  statue.  Strabo  said  that 
he  "heard  it,  but  could  not  affirm  whether  it  proceeded  from 
the  pedestal  or  the  statue  itself,  or  even  from  some  of  those 
who  stood  near  its  base." 

Many  of  the  inscriptions  are  dated,  going  back  to  the  time 
of  Nero. 

Various  opinions  are  held  of  this  phenomenon;  one,  that  it 
was  the  action  of  the  heat  of  the  sun  upon  the  cracks  in  the 
stone  wet  with  dew,  which  is  certainly  heavier  there  than 
would  be  supposed  from  the  apparent  absence  of  moisture  in 
the  air.  The  action  of  the  sun  upon  stones  is  often  sufficient 
to  produce  a  loud  noise  even  in  much  cooler  climates  than  that 
of  Egypt.  Another  view  is  that  it  was  a  trick  of  the  priests, 
one  of  whom  is  supposed  to  have  hid  himself  in  the  statue  and 
struck  a  metallic  sounding  stone.  In  favor  of  this  is  the  fact 
that  there  is  such  a  stone  still  in  existence  in  the  lap  of  the 
statue,  with  a  recess  cut  immediately  behind  it,  and  large 
enough  to  conceal  an  operator. 


298  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

A  suspicious  fact  is  that  important  personages,  such  as  the 
Emperor  Hadrian,  "  heard  it  two  or  three  times,  while  ordinary 
people  only  heard  it  once,  and  sometimes  had  to  go  several 
times  to  do  that." 

An  Egyptian  loitering  near  made  a  sign  that  he  would  ascend 
the  statue  and  strike  it;  accordingly  I  hired  him.  The  sound 
was  simply  that  of  the  blow.  But  the  trifle  paid  made  him  happy, 
and  the  circumstance  gave  a  little  more  vividness  to  the  fact 
that  nineteen  hundred  years  ago  travelers  from  all  parts  of  the 
known  world  stood  in  that  very  spot  listening  for  the  sound 
with  which,  "when  the  brilliant  sun  shoots  forth  his  rays,  he 
announces  the  return  of  day  to  the  mortals  here  assembled." 


LIFE  IN  MODERN  THEBES.  299 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
Life  in   Modern  Thebes. 

Entertainment  by  the  Consul  at  Thebes — An  Oriental  Dinner  at  the  House 
of  the  British  Consul — Wonderful  Boy  Gymnast — A  Huge  Monkey — Kar- 
nak  by  Moonlight — Varieties  of  Stone  in  Egypt. 

THE  United  States  consul,  deputy  of  the  consul  general 
at  Cairo,  is  an  Egyptian;  he  called  upon  us  and  cordially  in- 
vited the  Americans  on  board  to  an  entertainment  at  his  resi- 
dence. There  is  an  ancient  proverb  to  the  effect  that  one 
should  not  "look  a  gift  horse  in  the  mouth;"  but  as  he  did 
not  hesitate  to  communicate  to  us,  in  a  variety  of  oriental 
modes,  that  it  would  be  well  to  make  up  a  purse  to  pay 
the  expenses  of  the  entertainment,  I  am  not  restrained  from 
observing  that  it  was  of  a  peculiar  character.  Egyptian  women 
were  brought  in  to  dance  to  the  accompaniment  of  music, 
which  reminded  me  of  a  lecture  on  sound  delivered  by  an  ec- 
centric vagrant  professor  of  oratory  and  music,  who  said  that 
all  sounds  are  divided  into  two  grand  divisions,  "music  and 
noise."  By  this  simple  classification  I  have  no  difficulty 
in  locating,  rhetorically,  the  place  of  these  Egyptian  melo- 
dies. The  women  were  vulgar  in  deportment,  but  wore  long 
dresses  trailing  upon  the  floor.  Their  performances  were  acro- 
batic and  gymnastic  rather  than  terpsichorean.  One  per- 
formed with  a  lighted  candle  in  a  candlestick  on  her  head,  and 
it  was  an  extraordinary  feat,  as  she  frequently  placed  her  head 
at  right  angles  with  her  swiftly  moving  body,  the  candle  re- 
maining in  its  place. 

Coffee  and  other  beverages  were  passed,  and  in  the  inter- 
vals of  the  performance  of  these  women  they  ate,  drank,  and 
smoked.  We  were  requested  to  guess  their  ages.  Knowing 
that  Egyptian  women  look  older  than  they  are,  I  ventured  to 
guess  the  eldest  to  be  thirty-five,  the  next  twenty-five,  and  the 
other  two  twenty  and  seventeen.  But  the  eldest,  though  she 
had  been  married  for  some  years,  was  only  twenty-two, 


300  TRAYKI.S  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

and  the  youngest  eleven.  The  entertainment  was  not 
such  as  1  could  recommend,  or  would  have  attended  had  I 
been  aware  of  its  character.  For  those  who  wished  to  see 
what  they  should  not  it  was  not  bad  enough;  for  those  who  sim- 
ply desired  to  have  a  pleasant  and  varied  evening's  enjoy- 
ment there  was  nothing  pleasant  and  nothing  varied,  and 
the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  party  unanimously  voted  the 
entertainment  tedious.  There  is  little  business  in  Luxor  for 
an  American  consul,  and  these  men  make  their  living  chiefly  by 
selling  antiquities. 

The  British  consul  is  a  more  important  character,  and,  on 
the  evening  of  February  21,  a  party  from  our  steamer,  includ- 
ing several  gentlemen  from  England  and  Scotland,  dined  in 
oriental  fashion  at  his  house.  On  arriving  they  were  shown 
into  a  room  containing  a  collection  of  Egyptian  antiquities, 
and  several  albums  of  autographs  of  those  who,  during  the 
last  thirty  or  forty  years,  had  called  at  the  consulate.  Among 
the  American  signatures  was  one  that  elicited  interest— Ralph 
Waldo  Emerson.  Before  dinner  was  announced  a  servant  en- 
tered with  water,  and  another  distributed  napkins.  After  all 
had  washed  their  hands  they  proceeded  to  the  dining  room. 
The  room  was  plain,  but  the  repast  might  have  served  for  a 
king.  Fourteen  chairs  were  placed  around  a  small  table  three 
feet  or  so  in  width,  which  was  covered  by  a  circular  brass  tray, 
a  little  larger  than  the  table  itself.  All  having  been  seated,  and 
a  tureen  of  soup  placed  in  the  center,  the  host  put  his  spoon 
into  the  dish,  inviting  the  guests  to  follow.  Bread  had  been 
provided.  After  all  had  partaken,  the  soup  was  removed  and 
chicken  brought.  The  host,  having  torn  it  into  small  pieces 
with  his  fingers,  handed  a  tidbit  to  one  of  the  ladies  pres- 
ent, and  then  invited  the  others  to  partake.  Each  took  a 
piece  in  his  hand,  and  the  chickens  were  quickly  disposed  of. 
After  them  was  served  a  course  of  two  kinds  of  vegetables; 
then  dishes  of  mutton,  in  color  as  black  as  charcoal,  but  in 
flavor  excellent;  stewed  tomatoes  were  next  proffered,  in 
which  the  host  dipped  his  bread,  followed  by  the  guests.  After 
the  tomatoes  came  the  turkey,  in  the  breaking  up  of  which  the 
host  was  assisted  by  a  native  gentleman.  Two  dishes  of 
spinach  were  served,  then  a  haricot  of  mutton,  which  was  fol- 


LIFE  IN  MODERN  THEBES.  301 

lowed  by  rice,  over  which  the  gravy  of  the  mutton  had  been 
poured.  The  dessert  was  a  species  of  tart,  browned  on  the  sur- 
face, the  contents  composed  largely  of  cream  deliciously  flav- 
ored and  sweetened.  Last  of  all  came  a  bowl  of  rice,  cooked 
with  sour  milk;  the  whole,  however,  had  been  so  flavored  that 
not  a  trace  of  acidity  remained,  and  the  dish,  like  that  which 
had  preceded  it,  was  unanimously  declared  to  be  delicious. 

The  meal  ended,  the  host  said,  "  All-ham-du-le-lah,"  the 
meaning  of  which  is,  "Thank  God."  Then  the  servants,  of 
whom  there  were  three  in  waiting,  drew  near  with  soap  and 
water,  that  all  might  wash  their  hands.  Coffee  was  then  served, 
and  the  guests  repaired  to  the  waiting  room.  After  a  nephew 
of  the  host  had  expressed  thanks,  on  behalf  of  his  uncle,  to 
the  guests  who  had  honored  him  with  their  presence,  a  Negro, 
Abdallah  by  name,  belonging  to  a  tribe  in  the  South,  was 
brought  forward.  He  exhibited  the  mode  of  singing,  dancing, 
and  fighting  prevailing  in  his  own  tribe.  On  leaving,  the 
servants  who  had  waited  on  the  table,  each  carrying  a  lantern, 
accompanied  the  guests  to  the  steamer. 

At  Luxor  a  wonderful  boy,  Egyptian  and  Mohammedan,  ap- 
peared as  a  gymnast.  He  could  not  have  been  more  than 
twelve  years  of  age,  and  was  quite  small,  but  of  symmetrical 
figure,  his  head  being  especially  well  proportioned.  The  little 
fellow  lived  there  and  was  engaged  in  ordinary  work,  but  when 
steamers  lay  alongside  he  came  down  to  the  water's  edge  and 
performed  for  the  diversion  of  tourists.  The  gyrations  which 
he  made  were  always  the  same,  and  consisted  of  raising  and 
lowering  his  arms  very  rapidly,  accompanied  by  a  peculiar 
chanting  and  a  startling  crackling  of  his  joints,  producing 
sounds  like  those  made  when  a  pair  of  castanets  are  struck. 
His  chief  charm  was  in  the  brightness  of  his  eye,  the  whiteness 
of  his  teeth,  the  naturalness  and  gleefulness  of  his  smile,  his 
expressive  gestures,  and  his  way  of  saying,  "Thank  you,  sir;" 
or  "Thank  you,  mad-ame;"  or  "  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  sir." 
He  soon  discovered  what  language  the  traveler  spoke,  and 
though  he  knew  not  another  word  except  these  salutations  and 
thanksgivings,  could  utter  them  pleasingly  in  a  halfscore  of 
European  languages. 

Another  curiosity  was  a  huge  monkey  just  brought  from 


302  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

South  Africa.  Its  height,  when  erect,  was  equal  to  that  of  a 
short  man,  and  its  superficial  resemblance  to  the  human  race 
appalling.  The  owner  kept  it  chained,  and  sometimes  all  his 
strength  was  demanded  to  prevent  its  escape.  Not  long  be- 
fore, a  powerful  man  took  the  attitude  of  a  boxer  in  front  of 
this  animal,  which,  standing  erect,  struck  him  with  such 
rapidity  on  each  side  of  the  face  as  to  confuse  him,  and  then 
seizing  him  under  the  arms  made  frantic  efforts  to  tear  his 
face  with  its  teeth. 

Karnak  by  moonlight  is  beautiful,  ghostly,  and  almost 
ghastly.  A  young  lad  who  sought  solitude  hastened  back  to 
the  company,  saying  that  it  was  no  place  in  which  to  be  alone. 

There  is  great  variety  of  stone  in  Egypt — granite  of  differ- 
ent kinds,  limestone,  sandstone,  porphyry,  slate,  siliceous  red 
gritstone,  pudding  stone,  alabaster,  gypsum,  and  in  the  Ara- 
bian desert  marbles  of  various  sorts.  The  Pyramids  were 
built  of  limestone  blocks,  the  temples  of  Thebes  and  the  The- 
baid  generally  of  sandstone.  But  "obelisks,  statues,  and 
whole  sanctuaries  were  hewn  out  of  the  granite  rocks  at 
Assouan  (Syene),"  and  transported,  by  modes  which  can  only 
be  conjectured,  to  the  sites  where  they  now  defy  time  or 
crumble  before  it. 


FROM  THEBES  TO  THE  FIRST  CATARACT.  303 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
From  Thebes  to  the  First  Cataract. 

Temple  of  Eclfoo — Kom-ombos — Island  of  Elephantine— Camel  Riding — 
Assouan— Nubian  Boatmen's  Song — Ride  to  Phils— Ancient  Methods  of 
Quarrying  Stone — Description  of  Philae — Temple  of  Isis — The  First  Cata- 
ract— Herodotus  on  the  Sources  of  the  Nile — Aquatic  Feats  at  the  Cataract 
— An  Hour  in  the  Desert — Experience  of  Foolhardy  Tourists  with  Rob- 
bers— Nubians — A  Solitary  Palm. 

ASCENDING  the  Nile  the  view  of  the  mountains  on  the  left 
was  of  thrilling  interest  because  of  the  experience  of  the  pre- 
ceding days.  The  travelers  generally,  even  the  youngest  of 
them,  were  silent  and  thoughtful;  all  the  volumes  in  the  ship's 
library  were  in  requisition,  and  diaries  and  notebooks  rapidly 
filled.  I  brought  home  nearly  one  hundred  excellent  photo- 
graphs of  Thebes  and  vicinity;  marvelous  aids  to  recollection. 

At  Edfoo  we  landed  at  the  foot  of  a  bank  of  sand  and 
visited  the  temple.  Mariette  quarried  this  as  one  of  his  first 
works,  after  his  appointment  as  conservator  of  the  monuments 
of  Egypt  and  director  of  the  excavations.  I  read  his  descrip- 
tion, which  is  that  "it  is  a  monument  that  speaks  for  itself; 
that  no  description  can  do  justice  to  it;  that  its  magnificent 
porticoes  and  halls  are  unique  in  Egypt,  and  that  its  excava- 
tions were  the  most  expensive  archaeological  work  ever  exe- 
cuted under  the  auspices  of  the  Khedive." 

The  heat  was  intense  as  we  sailed  away  from  Edfoo.  There 
we  saw  Nubians  and  Soudanese,  and  began  to  realize  how  far 
south  we  were.  Long  and  narrow  strips  of  cultivated  land 
separated  us  from  the  encroaching  desert,  and  here  and  there 
it  reached  the  water's  edge.  The  bottom  of  the  river  could 
be  seen  distinctly,  and  in  many  places  the  water  was  not  more 
than  two  feet  and  six  inches  in  depth. 

Kom-ombos  was  the  next  point  at  which  we  disembarked. 
The  ruins  of  two  temples  with  various  sculptures  and  some  al- 
most illegible  paintings,  the  whole  gradually  being  under- 


304  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

mined  by  the   Nile  and  destined  to  be  swept  away  within  a 
few  years,  are  all  that  remain. 

As  the  steamer  drew  near  to  Assouan,  sand  banks  appeared 
in  the  mouth  of  the  eastern  channel,  making  an  agreeable  con- 
trast with  the  water  and  the  green  fields  along  the  shore. 
Then  appeared  islands  of  solid  black  rock,  which  had  been  so 
polished  by  the  water  as  to  resemble  black  marble.  The 
island  of  Elephantine  is  well  described  as  "a  mosaic  of 
livid  green,  golden  sand,  and  black  syenite."  In  all  direc- 
tions on  the  shore  mountains  of  sand  and  heaps  of  stone  are 
thrown  about  promiscuously,  the  scene  suggesting  the  pri- 
meval evolutions  when  the  earth's  surface  was  in  process  of 
formation. 

The  vessel  anchored  some  distance  below  the  town,  but  on 
the  shore  was  a  crowd  of  traders,  and  camels  ready  for  hire, 
black,  white,  mouse  color,  and  reddish.  As  it  is  necessary  to 
ride  five  or  six  miles  to  the  First  Cataract,  it  is  the  fashion  to 
do  so  upon  the  back  of  a  camel.  I  had  had  my  fill  of  that 
sort  of  desert  navigation.  If  one  had  a  journey  of  a  month  he 
could  allow  the  first  three  days  for  breaking  in,  and  look  for- 
ward to  enjoyment;  but  when  the  tour  is  less  than  one  day  it 
is  pleasanter  not  to  make  it  on  the  back  of  a  camel.  First  you 
cross  your  legs,  and  as  you  do  that  "  up  goes  the  beast;  you 
are  jerked  forward  and  get  a  dig  in  the  stomach  from  the 
front  crotch,  then  you  are  jerked  backward  and  get  a  dig  in 
the  back  from  the  hind  crotch."  So  it  continues.  There  are 
differences  among  camels  as  among  horses,  and  a  South 
American  gentleman  in  the  party  declared  that  he  preferred  a 
camel  to  any  horse  or  donkey  that  he  had  seen  in  Egypt;  but 
most  of  us  took  donkeys. 

Assouan  is  spoken  of  in  the  Bible  under  the  name  of  Syene, 
and  was  the  extreme  southern  boundary  of  Egypt. 

It  has  a  population  of  less  than  ten  thousand,  and  is  about 
seven  hundred  and  thirty  miles  from  the  Mediterranean  Sea. 
In  contrast  with  many  other  towns  in  Egypt,  it  presents  an 
attractive  appearance;  the  stores  had  an  excellent  supply  of 
goods,  and  one  might  fancy  himself  in  a  seaport  town  in  Eng- 
land; but  before  he  could  settle  upon  this  conclusion  the  pecu- 
liar character  of  the  population  would  reveal  to  him  the  fact  that 


FROM  THEBES  TO  THE  FIRST  CATARACT.  305 

he  was  far  from  European  civilization.  As  he  passes  through 
the  bazaars  and  wanders  about  the  suburbs  he  sees  a  motley 
crowd  "of  Egyptians,  Turks,  Barabras,  half-naked  Bisharees, 
and  Negroes  of  every  tribe."  Some  are  magnificent  looking 
men;  these  are  said  to  come  from  Khartoom,  easily  distin- 
guished by  their  grand  appearance,  perfectly  black  skin,  and 
splendidly  shaped  heads. 

A  few  years  ago  the  merchandise  consisted  principally  of 
gums,  elephants'  tusks,  skins,  and  other  southern  products. 
There  has  been  a  change,  and  for  what  was  formerly  common 
we  were  compelled  to  search;  but  in  every  case  found  some  of 
these  strictly  oriental  products.  Our  attention  was  attracted 
by  a  hawker  who  was  selling  ebony  bludgeons,  lances,  and 
arrows,  the  points  of  which  he  claimed  were  poisoned. 

In  pagan  times  there  must  have  been  a  vastly  larger  popu- 
lation than  now.  There  are  ruins,  too,  of  Christian  convents, 
dating  back  to  the  sixth  or  seventh  century,  and  evidences 
that  it  was  the  seat  of  a  bishopric.  Five  years  ago,  it  being 
the  principal  market  for  traders  to  and  from  the  Soudan,  mer- 
chandise to  the  amount  of  ten  million  dollars  per  annum 
passed  through  the  place.  The  Soudan  has  since  been  aban- 
doned, and  in  a  constant  state  of  warfare;  traveling  has  been 
unsafe,  and  the  appearance  of  the  town  indicated  general 
stagnation.  Troops  for  the  Nile  expedition  rendezvoused 
here,  and  there  was  a  large  English  garrison  when  we  were  in 
Assouan,  the  troops  being  Egyptian,  the  officers  Englishmen. 
The  troublous  times  which  have  since  occurred  were  threaten- 
ing, and  troops  from  Cairo  arriving.  The  place  is  surrounded 
by  forts.  Though  there  are  ruins  of  the  times  of  the  Ptolemys, 
most  of  the  remains  are  houses  erected  by  the  Saracens. 

On  the  island  of  Elephantine  the  larger  part  of  the  popu- 
lation consists  of  Nubians.  They  are  fine-looking  men,  tall, 
symmetrical,  elegant,  intelligent.  When  rowing  to  the  island 
we  found  the  boatmen  were  of  this  race.  As  they  rowed  they 
sang  in  Nubian  dialect.  One  would  sing,  and  the  others  join 
in  the  chorus.  The  melody  was  monotonous,  but  not  unpleas- 
ant; the  chorus  brief,  and  as  nearly  as  I  can  express  it  in 
English,  in  these  syllables:  "Ah  /wom-rhe-nab."  I  tried  it 
upon  several  Nubians  whom  we  met  afterward,  and  found 


306  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

not  one  who  appeared  to  understand  it;  but  every  Englishman 
present,  when  the  song  was  sung,  declared  this  to  be  the 
chorus. 

Travelers  formerly  described  the  Nubian  women  on  this 
island  as  "sable  Venuses,  realizing  the  description  of  our 
mother  Eve  as  being  when  unadorned  adorned  the  most,  their 
sole  costume  being  in  this  serene  and  glowing  climate  an 
apron  around  the  middle,  and  somewhat  of  the  slenderest, 
too,  composed  of  thongs  of  leather  ornamented  with  small 
shells."  We  saw  none  such,  though  not  a  few  were  slenderly 
dressed.  Doubtless  the  presence  of  foreigners  and  the  atten- 
tion attracted  has  tended  to  an  assimilation  to  Egyptian  cos- 
tumes and  to  cause  those  not  supplied  with  such  to  keep  out 
of  sight. 

The  ride  to  Philae,  at  the  First  Cataract,  was  the  most 
"  fascinating  and  impish  "  of  the  entire  journey.  En  route  we 
passed  several  Mohammedan  tombs  and  the  graves  of  British 
soldiers  who  had  died  in  the  Soudan. 

Many  of  the  rocks  plainly  show  that  they  have  been  quarried. 
Marks  of  wedges  are  perceptible,  and  inscriptions  on  the  island 
of  Elephantine  and  at  Philae  tell  when  the  blocks  were  removed, 
and  give  the  dynasty  and  the  name  of  the  king  by  whose 
orders  they  were  hewn  and  removed.  Ingenious  methods  of 
quarrying  the  stone  were  adopted,  whose  operations  can  be 
plainly  traced.  Holes  were  cut  to  receive  wooden  wedges, 
and  these  were  saturated  with  water,  and  broke  off  the  stone 
by  equal  pressure.  An  obelisk,  carved  but  not  detached  from 
the  rock,  remains  in  the  quarry.  If  completed  it  would  have 
been  ninety-five  feet  in  height  and  eleven  feet  one  and  one 
half  inches  in  breadth.  Other  kinds  of  stone  besides  syenite 
abound.  Granite  prevails,  there  being  more  of  that  than 
of  all  other  kinds  of  stone. 

It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  determine  the  difference  between 
syenite  and  granite.  The  general  proposition  of  the  geologists  is 
that  syenite  is  composed  of  feldspar,  quartz,  and  horn- 
blende, and  granite  of  feldspar,  quartz,  and  mica.  The 
syenite  of  antiquity,  used  for  statues,  was  really  granite. 
Cleopatra's  Needle  in  Central  Park  is  a  specimen  of  red  gran- 
ite, and  came  from  these  quarries. 


1 1 


FROM  THEBES  TO  THE  FIRST  CATARACT.  309 

The  island  of  Philae  is  the  finest  bit  of  scenery  on  the  Nile. 
It  is  only  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  and  considerably  less  than 
an  eighth  of  a  mile  wide,  and  is  approached  by  a  romantic 
route.  The  river  contains  many  islands  of  black  rock,  and  in 
various  places  is  not  more  than  fifty  or  sixty  feet  wide,  sud- 
denly expanding  into  lakes.  Continual  surprises  greet  the  eye. 
The  island  is  covered  with  ruins,  the  oldest  dating  back  to 
about  360  B.  C.  The  chief  building  is  the  Temple  of  Isis, 
commenced  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  continued  by  famous 
monarchs,  including  the  two  Cleopatras.  Later  Augustus, 
Tiberius,  Claudius,  Domitian,  Nerva,  and  Trajan  added 
sculptures  in  their  own  honor, 

We  spent  six  hours  in  this  temple  and  vicinity.  The  build- 
ing and  the  summit  afford  the  best  view,  both  of  art  and  nature, 
to  be  obtained  in  Egypt  outside  of  Thebes.  The  west  cor- 
ridor has  thirty-two  columns  with  capitals  and  different  forms. 
The  decorations  of  the  roof  consist  of  gold  stars  on  a  blue 
ground.  The  towers  of  the  first  great  entrance  are  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  feet  wide,  and  sixty  feet  high,  covered  with 
sculptures  of  gods  and  kings.  One  room  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  library.  On  the  east  side  is  a  copy  of  the  inscription 
contained  in  the  famous  Rosetta  Stone,  but  one  of  our  experts 
pointed  out  the  fact  that  only  the  Demotic  and  hieroglyphic 
texts  are  given. 

This  temple  is  said  to  have  been  transformed  in  the  sixth 
century  into  the  Christian  Church  of  St.  Stephen,  and  certain 
crosses  are  considered  conclusive  evidence  on  that  point.  In- 
scriptions prove  that  in  the  four  hundred  and  fifty-third  year 
of  the  Christian  era,  more  than  seventy  years  after  Theodosius 
abolished  the  Christian  religion  by  proclamation,  the  worship 
of  Isis  and  Osiris  was  still  carried  on  in  this  temple.  The 
Christians,  when  they  took  it,  covered  with  a  coating  of  clay 
or  mortar  the  pagan  inscriptions  of  its  builders. 

The  First  Cataract  must  have  been  in  ancient  times  very 
different  from  what  it  now  is,  merely  a  succession  of  rapids, 
whirlpools,  and  eddies,  caused  by  rocks  and  small  islands.  I 
have  seen  many  far  larger  and  more  striking,  notably  the 
Lachine  Rapids  in  the  St.  Lawrence.  When  the  water  is  high 
it  is  easy  for  boats  to  sail  against  it;  when  low,  barely  pos- 


3io  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

sible.  Cicero,  Seneca,  and  others  gave  accounts  of  the  aston- 
ishing noise  made  by  the  cataract.  But  this  was  probably  an 
exaggeration,  for  Paul  Lucas,  a  traveler  of  the  time  of  Louis 
XIV,  says  that  the  cataract  precipitated  itself  with  such  force 
from  the  top  of  the  rocks  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  district 
were  deaf  for  several  miles  around!  This  would  make  it  more 
terribly  "  the  voice  of  many  waters"  than  Niagara  itself. 

The  Nile  was  unquestionably  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet 
higher  than  it  is  now,  but  even  then  the  whole  body  of  water 
pouring  over  could  have  produced  no  such  commotion.  Mari- 
etta denies  that  there  is  any  cataract  there,  if  by  that  is  to  be 
understood  a  fall  of  water  caused  by  a  lowering  of  the  whole 
bed  of  the  stream,  as  is  the  case  with  the  Rhine  at  Schaff- 
hausen.  When  the  Nile  is  low  the  rocks  with  which  its  bed 
are  obstructed  project  above  the  water,  and  small  falls  are 
thus  produced  which  sometimes  swell  into  cascades.  We  saw 
it  at  its  best,  the  river  being  unusually  low. 

Herodotus,  in  his  second  book,  says:  "With  respect  to  the 
sources  of  the  Nile,  no  man  of  all  the  Egyptians,  Albians,  or 
Grecians  with  whom  I  have  conversed  ever  pretended  to  know 
anything,  except  the  registrar  of  Minerva's  treasury  at  Sais 
in  Egypt.  He,  indeed,  seemed  to  be  trifling  with  me  when  he 
said  he  knew  perfectly  well;  yet  his  account  was  as  follows: 
'  That  there  are  two  mountains  rising  into  a  sharp  peak,  situ- 
ated between  the  city  of  Syene  in  Thebais  and  Elephantine; 
the  names  of  these  mountains  are,  the  one  Crophi,  the  other 
Mophi;  that  the  sources  of  the  Nile,  which  are  bottomless, 
flow  from  between  these  mountains;  and  that  half  of  the  water 
flows  through  Egypt  and  to  the  north,  the  other  half  through 
Ethiopia  to  the  south.  That  the  fountains  of  the  Nile  are 
bottomless,'  he  said.'  Psammitichus,  King  of  Egypt,  proved  by 
experiment;  for  having  caused  a  line  to  be  twisted  many 
thousand  fathoms  in  length  he  let  it  down,  but  could  never 
find  a  bottom.'  Such,  then,  was  the  opinion  the  registrar 
gave,  if  indeed  he  spoke  the  truth,  proving,  in  my  opinion, 
that  there  are  strong  whirlpools  and  an  eddy  here,  so  that, 
the  water  beating  against  the  rocks,  a  sounding  line  when  let 
down  could  not  reach  the  bottom.  I  was  unable  to  learn  any- 
thing more  from  anyone  else,  but  this  much  I  learned  by 


FROM  THEBES  TO  THE  FIRST  CATARACT.  311 

carrying  my  researches  as  far  as  possible,  having  gone  and 
made  my  own  observations  as  far  as  Elephantine,  and  beyond 
that  obtaining  information  from  hearsay." 

Stanley  has  completed  the  sources  of  the  Nile;  its  mystery 
has  been  yielded. 

On  arriving  at  the  cataract  we  found  hundreds  of  men  and 
boys — Nubians,  Negroes,  and  a  few  Egyptians  ready  to  per- 
form extraordinary  feats.  Stark  naked,  they  mount  round 
logs  of  wood,  launch  into  the  stream,  and  paddle  either  across 
the  river  or  shoot  the  rapids;  dive  from  points  thirty  and 
even  fifty  feet  high  into  the  river,  and  rising  would  be  borne 
down  at  the  rate  of  more  than  twenty  miles  an  hour  for 
a  short  distance,  but  being  perfectly  familiar  with  the  eddies 
they  soon  get  to  the  shore,  and  run  up  to  travelers  ready  to 
do  the  same  thing  as  many  times  as  one  might  care  to  pay  the 
small  sum  charged. 

Shooting  the  cataract  is  dangerous.  Some  of  our  young 
men  tried  to  hire  a  party  of  men  to  take  them  down,  but  failed. 
Two  or  three  young  Englishmen  had  recently  lost  their  lives 
attempting  the  feat  alone. 

Before  turning  our  faces  to  the  north  I  wandered  into  the 
desert  and  spent  an  hour  alone  where  it  was  impossible  to  see 
evidence  of  the  presence  of  man,  except  the  telegraph  poles 
in  the  direction  of  Khartoom.  They  seemed  like  civilization 
on  stilts  stalking  across  the  boundless  expanse  of  sand.  There 
was  no  wind;  a  quietness  as  of  death  was  in  the  air;  a  silence 
which  Thomas  Hood  interprets: 

"  There  is  a  silence  where  hath  been  no  sound, 
There  is  a  silence  where  no  sound  may  be, 
In  the  cold  grave,  under  the  deep,  deep  sea, 
Or  in  wide  desert  where  no  life  is  found." 

Our  conductor  told  us  of  a  singular  adventure.  Among  a 
company  of  tourists  were  a  gentleman  and  a  lady  who  refused 
to  keep  with  the  party.  He  warned  them  of  danger,  but  they 
insisted  that  they  were  quite  able  to  take  care  of  themselves. 
About  two  hours  later  they  returned,  stating  that  they  had 
been  robbed.  It  appeared  that  a  crowd  had  surrounded  them, 
and  utterly  helpless,  they  were  stripped  of  part  of  their 
clothing,  and  their  watches,  money,  and  jewelry  taken  away. 


3i2  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

They  confessed  that  they  had  no  means  of  identifying  the 
thieves.  After  rebuking  them  for  their  foolhardiness,  the 
conductor  told  them  that  perhaps  he  could  get  their  property. 
When  the  time  came  to  return  to  the  vessel,  as  usual,  a  crowd 
followed  the  foreigners  down  to  the  water's  edge.  After  all 
the  small  boats  but  one  had  gone  out  to  the  vessel,  the  con- 
ductor and  several  others  remaining  to  take  passage  in  that, 
the  oarsmen  were  told  to  row  very  rapidly  when  the  signal 
was  given ;  the  conductor  then  seized  a  child  from  the  arms  of 
its  mother  and  the  boat  pushed  off  into  the  stream.  The  re- 
sulting consternation  and  excitement  were  tremendous;  the 
cries  of  the  mother,  "the  wailing  of  the  women  who  sympa- 
thized with  her,  and  the  imprecations  of  the  men  filled  the  air. 
Standing  on  the  prow  of  the  boat,  at  a  safe  distance,  the  con- 
ductor cried  out:  "If  you  want  the  child  bring  back  the 
money  and  watches  you  stole  from  my  friends."  They  called 
upon  God  and  the  Prophet  to  witness  that  they  knew  not  who 
did  it;  but  he  insisted  that  unless  it  were  done  the  child  would 
be  taken  away.  After  waiting  a  while  they  called  out  that 
they  had  the  money,  and  that  if  the  child  were  brought  back 
it  would  be  delivered  up.  The  conductor  refused,  and  after 
much  altercation  one  of  the  men  swam  out  with  the  money  and 
jewelry,  receiving  the  child,  which  he  took  to  its  mother. 

The  Nubians  are  lighter  than  the  Negroes  in  color,  and 
darker  than  the  Arabs.  Their  general  appearance  indicates 
poverty,  but  not  suffering.  Fuel  they  do  not  want,  as  it  is 
never  cold;  nor  do  they  need  clothes.  They  are  rather  fine- 
looking,  and  wear  no  head  covering,  but  saturate  their  shaggy 
hair  with  grease.  Date  palms  are  their  main  reliance,  many 
never  having  anything  else  to  eat.  The  shadoof  gives  place 
to  water  wheels  moved  by  oxen,  each  wheel  being  competent 
to  irrigate  a  particular  amount  of  land;  when  one  inquires 
about  the  wealth  of  a  Nubian,  the  reply  is  not  given  in  acres, 
but  in  the  number  of  water-wheels  owned  by  him. 

Like  all  half-civilized  races,  the  Nubians  are  superstitious, 
making  great  use  of  charms  which  they  are  willing  to  sell.  I 
bought  one  from  a  stalwart  peasant  who  took  it  from 
his  neck.  Of  what  it  consists  internally  I  have  not  ascer- 
tained; externally  it  resembles  three  dominoes,  made  of  red 


FROM  THEBES  TO  THE  FIRST  CATARACT.  313 

leather.  The  spots  signify  something  to  the  untutored  Nu- 
bian, but  so  also  did  the  money  for  which  he  sold  it.  This 
Nubian  charm  hangs  in  my  library,  as  harmless  as  the  chicken 


Nubians. 

bone  with  which  a  Tartar  told    me  that  I  could    divine  the 
future. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Assouan  I  saw  a  lonely  palm  of  such 


314  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

singular  beauty  and  stateliness  as  to  make  it  a  conspicuous  ob- 
ject. It  seemed  to  spring  from  the  barren  sand,  but  at  no 
great  distance  was  a  fountain.  Beholding  it  I  thought  of 
Heine's  contrast,  which  has  been  spoken  of  as  the  "Flawless 

Lyric: " 

"  A  pine  tree  standeth  lonely 

On  a  far  north  land  height ; 
It  slumbereth,  while  around  it 
The  snows  fall  thick  and  white. 

"  And  of  a  palm  it  dreameth. 
That  in  a  southern  land, 
Lonely  and  silent,  standeth 
Amid  the  scorching  sand." 

Far  north  of  the  arctic  circle  I  had  seen  the  solitary  pine 
upon  the  desolate  coast  of  Norway;  now  I  beheld  the  palm 
upon  the  burning  sands  of  Africa. 

The  disturbed  condition  of  the  country  made  it  undesirable, 
if  not  impracticable,  to  go  to  the  Second  Cataract. 


DOWN  THE  RIVER.  315 


CHAPTER  XL. 
Down  the  River. 

Southern  Cross — To  Luxor — Meeting  David  Dudley  Field — Aground  Fifteen 
Times — An  Alarming  Illness — Arrival  at  Cairo — Kaiserswerth  Hospital — 
Boolak  Museum. 

ON  Monday  morning,  February  25,  between  two  and 
three  o'clock,  I  beheld  the  Southern  Cross.  Not  only  this,  I 
could  see  the  two  stars  of  the  first  magnitude  in  the  Centaur. 
The  Southern  Cross  requires  the  aid  of  a  brilliant  star  in  an 
adjacent  constellation  to  form  the  foot;  this  included,  the  re- 
sult is  a  noble  figure  of  a  cross.  The  universe  seemed  to 
stretch  away  into  immensity;  "faith  lent  its  realizing  light, " 
and  the  finest  conception  that  I  ever  attained  of  the  size 
of  the  earth  and  the  heavens  above,  was  while  gazing  to  the  far 
south  and  beholding  that  constellation  whose  circle,  like  that 
of  the  midnight  sun  when  I  saw  it,  was  but  a  few  degrees 
above  the  horizon.  It  ascended  and  descended  slowly,  being 
visible  a  little  more  than  two  hours.  As  we  went  south  it  had 
been  interesting  to  watch  each  night  new  stars  appearing  just 
above  the  line  which  separated  earth  from  sky.  The  fashion 
seems  to  be  to  underestimate  the  Southern  Cross  in  compari- 
son with  some  of  our  northern  splendors;  .but  making  no 
allowance  for  the  low  point  at  which  we  viewed  the  cross  on 
this  occasion,  it  seemed  to  me  a  spectacle  worthy  of  com- 
parison with  any  other  part  of  the  "spangled  heavens."  I 
turned  my  back  upon  it  to  look  for  my  old  friends  to  the  far 
north. 

Miss  Edwards  said:  "  Our  old  familiar  friends  of  the  north- 
ern hemisphere  look  strangely  distorted.  Orion  seems  to  be 
lying  on  his  back,  and  the  Great  Bear  to  be  standing  on  his 
tail;  while  Cassiopeia  and  a  number  of  others  have  deserted 
en  masse."  This  is  indeed  one  of  the  peculiar  features  of  the 
change  of  position,  taken  in  connection  with  the  limited  view 
of  the  horizon,  for  it  foreshortens  many  figures,  so  that  it  is 


316  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

impossible  to  recognize  them;  1  have  no  doubt  that  the 
Southern  Cross  seen  higher  in  the  heavens  would  be  far 
more  splendid.  As  for  the  north  star,  my  beacon  light  in 
many  nights  of  camping  out,  and  pedestrian  journeys  in  moun- 
tains and  forests  and  on  the  prairies — it  was  so  low  in  the 
distant  north  that  it  took  fifteen  minutes  to  find  it.  The 
stars,  like  some  vowels,  are  long  or  short  "by  position." 

I  omitted  to  speak  of  our  visit  to  Esneh,  the  capital  of  the 
province  of  the  same  name,  and  having  a  population  of 
upward  of  ten  thousand.  We  made  a  considerable  stay  there. 
It  is  said  to  be  the  most  healthful  town  in  all  Egypt,  and  we 
saw  at  the  hotels  and  the  landings  invalids  who  had  been 
sent  there  from  Cairo  and  Alexandria.  There  is  generally  a 
breeze  from  the  north  at  night,  which  is  always  cool;  and  the 
heat  in  the  day  is  uniform  and  not  so  high  as  at  most  other 
points  on  the  river. 

The  ancient  temple  is  far  below  the  level  of  the  modern 
town.  We  descended  the  steps  into  the  Hall  of  Columns, 
which  Mohammed  All  cleared  in  1842;  the  rest  of  the  temple 
is  under  the  houses  and  invisible.  There  are  many  sculptures 
and  inscriptions.  All  the  finer  parts  are  covered  with  black 
smoke.  Some  miles  below  Esneh  we  ran  aground,  and  re- 
mained five  or  six  hours  in  one  place,  giving  us  fine  opportun- 
ity to  see  the  shore,  with  the  villages  and  splendid  range  of 
mountains. 

We  made  the  trip  down  the  river  to  Luxor  in  less  than  one 
third  of  the  time  it  took  to  go  up.  Here  we  found  the  steamer 
Rameses  going  southward,  and  upon  it  our  distinguished  fel- 
low-citizen, David  Dudley  Field,  in  his  eighty-fifth  year,  look- 
ing as  young  as  most  men  of  sixty.  During  a  long  con- 
versation with  him,  he  gave  delightful  reminiscences  of 
former  visits,  the  last  preceding  this  being  in  1870,  when, 
as  he  remarked  playfully,  he  was  a  young  fellow  of  sixty- 
five  or  so.  At  Luxor  we  remained  a  day  and  a  half,  and 
some  of  the  tourists  revisited  Karnak.  Most,  however, 
were  occupied  with  letters,  papers,  and  necessary  writing. 

On  the  voyage  to  Cairo  we  experienced  much  annoyance 
from  the  heat  and  frequent  running  aground.  The  average 
depth  of  the  channel  was  less  than  three  feet,  the  river  being 


DOWN  THE  RIVER.  317 

lower  than  it  had  been  at  that  time  for  a  number  of  years.  We 
were  grounded  for  twenty-four  hours  in  one  place,  and  three 
other  steamers  and  thirty  vessels  of  different  sorts,  at  distances 
of  not  more  than  fifty  or  a  hundred  feet  apart,  were  stuck  fast 
up  and  down  the  river.  Several  of  our  passengers  had  had  ex- 
perience on  the  rivers  and  lakes  of  the  United  States,  and 
were  quite  certain  that  the  Nile  pilots  did  not  understand  their 
business.  Four  or  five  times  all  the  passengers  who  were  able 
to  be  moved  left  the  vessel  and  went  on  board  a  dahabcah. 
This  became  monotonous,  especially  as  it  did  not  lighten  the 
vessel  to  any  perceptible  extent.  One  by  one  the  vessels  man- 
aged to  float,  and  after  constant  struggling  day  and  night  we 
got  under  way.  Fifteen  times  we  were  aground,  but  this  was 
the  worst  of  such  experiences.  Among  the  best  results  of  go- 
ing to  the  East  is  that  one  learns  to  wait. 

In  describing  our  descent  from  the  Libyan  mountains  I  spoke 
of  the  alarming  aspect  of  my  traveling  companion,  whom  the 
heat  strangely  affected;  and  now  I  must  unfold  a  tale  of 
suffering  which  was  one  of  the  most  painful  episodes  in  travel- 
ing I  have  ever  experienced.  Six  hours  after  that  descent  he 
became  dangerously  ill.  The  ship  was  provided  with  a 
physician,  a  young  man  just  graduated;  but  he  was  so  young 
and  so  devoted  to  social  life  as  not  to  inspire  confidence.  For 
two  or  three  days  the  sick  man  refused  to  have  him  called, 
but  when  he  grew  worse  and  delirium  appeared,  the  physician 
was  summoned,  as  much  to  find  some  one  to  take  the  respon- 
sibility and  stand  between  us  and  the  authorities  of  the  boat  as 
from  expectation  of  valuable  assistance.  The  wisdom  of  this 
step  was  soon  vindicated,  for  it  began  to  be  rumored  among 
the  passengers  that  the  young  man  had  typhoid  fever, 
some  being  not  slow  to  intimate  that  the  disease  was 
contagious,  such  a  suggestion  containing  the  germs  of 
a  panic,  and  tending  to  the  development  of  a  sentiment 
which  would  have  required  the  putting  of  the  sick  man  on 
shore,  which  might  have  meant  death  to  him  and  protracted 
misery  to  his  friends.  Only  at  one  or  two  places  could 
proper  treatment  for  a  European  be  found,  and,  with  the  heat 
increasing  every  day,  the  prospect  of  recovery  without  such 
care  would  have  been  slight. 


318  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

We  were  agreeably  disappointed  in  the  physician,  for  we 
found  him  attentive,  possessed  of  considerable  knowledge, 
and,  as  often  happens,  making  a  much  better  impression  when 
under  responsibility  than  when  having  nothing  to  do.  He  sus- 
pected the  disease  to  be  typhoid  fever,  but  there  being  a  doubt 
he  gave  us  the  benefit  of  it,  and  probably  romanced  a  little 
in  his  conversation  with  the  passengers.  It  is  bad  enough  to 
be  sick  on  an  ocean  steamer,  but  these  staterooms,  intended 
only  for  occupancy  at  night,  were  much  smaller  than  those  to 
be  had  on  the  best  ocean  steamers.  To  be  confined  in  a  small 
stateroom  by  day,  with  the  temperature  at  nearly  one  hundred 
in  the  shade,  was  awful,  but  thirteen  days  and  nights  this  had 
to  be  endured.  Meanwhile  four  other  passengers  were  taken 
ill.  One  had  lumbago,  and  his  groans,  rising  sometimes  into 
shrieks,  could  be  heard  distinctly;  the  others  had  symptoms 
of  typhoid  fever. 

The  passengers  being  very  sympathetic,  Principal  Bancroft 
and  myself  had  no  difficulty  in  securing  relays  of  assistants, 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  who  would  sit  near  the  patient  while  we 
were  resting.  When  we  reached  Asyoot,  I  addressed  a  com- 
munication to  Dr.  J.  Sandlands  Grant  Bey,  the  chief  phy- 
sician in  Cairo,  notifying  him  of  the  probable  time  of  our 
arrival,  and  requesting  him  to  be  in  readiness  to  consult  with 
the  ship's  physician,  and  procure  hospital  accommodation. 

We  did  not  arrive  in  Cairo  until  late  in  the  evening  of  Mon- 
day, March  4.  Leaving  the  patient  in  the  care  of  Dr.  Ban- 
croft and  the  ship's  physician,  I  mounted  a  donkey  and  rode 
rapidly  to  the  Place  Esbekeeyeh,  and  had  the  good  fortune  to 
find  Dr.  Grant  in  his  office.  The  hospital  arrangements  hav- 
ing been  made,  we  drove  at  once  to  the  ship,  and  after  a  care- 
ful consultation  the  decision  was  reached  that  it  was  a  case  of 
typhoid  fever,  which  as  yet  exhibited  no  unfavorable  compli- 
cations. The  removal  was  a  pitiable  spectacle.  The  thirteen 
days  had  made  a  fearful  change  in  the  appearance  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Fadden.  But  twenty-four  years  of  age,  he  looked  fifty. 
Unable  to  stand,  he  was  lifted  by  Arabs  into  the  carriage,  and 
taken  to  the  hospital.  As  there  was  no  permanent  room  at 
the  hospital,  Dr.  Bancroft  and  I  repaired  to  the  hotel  not  far 
away  and  arranged  for  an  indefinite  stay  in  Cairo. 


DOWN  THE  RIVER.  319 

The  hospital  was  the  Victoria,  under  the  charge  of  the 
deaconesses  of  Kaiserswerth,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  delight- 
ful places  to  be  sick  or  to  be  well  in  the  world.  I  can 
never  forget  the  atmosphere  of  cleanliness,  the  order  and 
homelikeness  of  the  place,  or  the  courtesy,  composure,  and 
sisterly  kindness  of  the  deaconesses  in  charge.  This  hospital 
is  one  of  the  celebrated  Kaiserswerth  system  supported  by  the 
English  and  German  colonies  in  Cairo.  The  patients  are  ex- 
pected to  pay  in  proportion  to  the  accommodations  received, 
but  none  are  turned  away  who  are  unable  to  pay.  The  spirit 
of  the  institution  is  thoroughly  religious.  On  arriving  the  next 
morning  we  found  that  our  friend  had  passed  a  quiet  night,  and 
the  special  physicians  who  had  him  in  charge  reported  that  he 
would  have  to  remain  there  several  weeks,  and  that  in  the 
course  of  one  week  they  could  inform  us  of  the  probable  ter- 
mination of  the  attack.  He  rapidly  improved,  and  in  a  day 
or  two  we  contented  ourselves  with  a  single  morning  visit  to 
him,  which  was  all  that  the  physician  thought  desirable,  and 
spent  the  rest  of  the  day.  in  examining  certain  important  insti- 
tutions and  features  of  Cairo  and  vicinity,  that  we  had  post- 
poned until  after  our  return  from  the  First  Cataract. 

The  Boolak  Museum  is  without  a  rival  in  the  world  in  the 
value  of  its  Egyptian  antiquities,  though  the  British  Museum 
surpasses  it  in  the  single  point  of  historical  papyri. 

I  had  learned  at  Pompeii  that  the  time  to  visit  a  museum  of 
this  kind  is  after,  not  before,  inspecting  the  cities  whence  the 
contents  of  the  museum  were.  I  had  seen  the  monuments 
and  the  stupendous  works  of  Rameses  II;  here  I  saw  his 
mummy.  I  had  beheld  the  tomb  and  monuments  of  Sethi  I, 
who  carried  the  glory  of  Egypt  into  Asia;  here  I  looked  upon 
his  dead  body. 

Reverently  I  took  off  my  hat  before  the  tomb  and  sepulchral 
monument  of  Mariette,  which  is  in  the  court  of  the  museum. 
In  front  of  it  are  four  Sphinxes,  from  the  grand  Avenue  of 
Sphinxes  to  the  Tomb  of  the  Bulls,  at  Sakkara.  Behind 
Mariette's  tomb  is  a  statue  of  Rameses  II,  and  near  it  are 
other  Sphinxes  from  Karnak,  sacrificial  tablets  of  Thothmes 
III,  and  various  sepulchral  slabs.  There  is  also  a  sitting 
figure,  in  gray  granite,  of  a  princess  of  the  Twelfth  Dynasty. 


320  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

In  entering  one  passes  through  a  small  vestibule,  contain- 
ing tombstones,  columns,  and  capitals  from  different  dynasties, 
and  sarcophagi  from  the  time  of  the  Ptolemys,  into  the  grand 
vestibule,  filled  with  statues,  tombstones,  pictures,  coffins  of 
limestone  and  green  basalt.  Entering  the  museum  proper  we 
find  it  divided  into  different  halls,  in  which  are  the  original  his- 
torical monuments  of  different  epochs  of  the  long  history  of 
Egypt.  Egyptian  mythology  is  far  more  complex  than  Gre- 
cian or  Roman,  and  each  succeeding  dynasty  modified  it.  I 
saw  the  coffin  and  mummy  of  Amenophis  I,  the  head  wearing 
a  mask;  also  the  coffin  and  mummy  of  Thothmes  II,  and  a 
mummy  of  a  priestly  scribe  in  such  an  astonishing  state  of 
preservation  that  the  eyelashes  are  visible.  The  teeth  of 
another  mummy  are  ground  to  a  point.  '  Caskets  in  wood 
dating  back  to  fifteen  hundred  years  before  Christ  are  in  an 
excellent  condition. 

Apart  from  the  mummies,  the  greatest  curiosity  in  the 
museum  is  a  wooden  Statue  of  an  old  Egyptian,  found  in  a 
tomb  at  Sakkara,  who  belonged  unquestionably  to  one  of  the 
earliest  dynasties  of  the  primeval  monarchy.  More  has  been 
written  about  this  than  about  anything  else  here.  It  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  a  Sheik  named  Ra-Em-Ka.  It  appears 
to  be  entirely  uninjured.  Zincke  says:  "There  is  no  stain  of 
time  upon  it.  To  say  that  it  is  worth  its  weight  in  gold  is 
saying  nothing,  for  its  value  is  not  commensurable  with  gold. 
As  you  look  at  the  statue  intently — you  cannot  do  otherwise — 
the  soul  returns  to  it,  the  man  is  reflected  from  the  wood  as 
he  would  have  been  from  a  mirror." 

There  is  a  description  in  the  third  chapter  of  Isaiah  of  the 
dress  of  the  Hebrew  women  eight  hundred  years  before 
Christ:  "Tinkling  ornaments  about  their  feet,"  "networks," 
"round  tires  like  the  moon,"  "chains,"  "bracelets,"  "span- 
gled ornaments,"  "bonnets,"  "ornaments  of  the  legs," 
"headbands,"  "tablets,  and  the  earrings,"  "rings  and  nose 
jewels,"  "changeable  suits  of  apparel,"  "mantles,"  "wimples 
and  the  crisping  pins, "  "glasses,"  "fine  linen,"  "the  hoods, 
and  the  veils."  . 

Many  of  these  were  imitations  of  Egyptian  costumes  and 
decorations,  and  in  the  Boolak  Museum  are  the  originals.  I 


DOWN  THE  RIVER.  321 

saw  a  bracelet  for  the  upper  arm  adorned  with  turquoises,  and 
a  fan  of  gilded  wood,  with  the  holes  where  ostrich  feathers 
had  been  inserted.  One  queer  article  was  a  gold  chain  with 
three  flies  in  gold  foil.  Anklets  of  massive  gold,  correspond- 
ing to  the  ornaments  for  the  legs  mentioned  by  Isaiah,  and  a 
great  number  of  rings  and  bracelets.  A  bracelet  was  formed 
of  pearls  strung  upon  gold  wire. 

In  one  of  the  cabinets  is  a  necklace  of  gold,  the  links  of 
which  are  in  the  form  of  cords  of  rope,  cruciform  flowers,  an- 
telopes chased  by  lions,  jackals,  vultures,  and  winged  ser- 
pents. 

The  jewelry  actually  worn  by  Queen  Ahhotpou  one  thou- 
sand years  before  Christ,  and  found  in  her  coffin,  is  preserved. 
One  of  her  bracelets  had  two  hinges,  and  consists  of  gold 
figures  engraved  upon  blue  glass.  A  gold  diadem  was  found 
in  her  hair,  and  is  also  here.  A  child's  ball,  whose  owner  has 
been  dead  half  the  historic  period;  hairpins,  mostly  made  of 
wood;  a  chessboard,  nearly  four  thousand  years  old;  and  ink 
pots,  for  red  and'  black  ink,  are  among  the  relics. 

The  museum  contains  a  collection  of  bronzes,  inlaid  with 
gold  and  enamel;  and  many  large  statues,  some  supposed  to 
be  the  oldest  in  the  world,  are  in  perfect  preservation.  The 
god  Osiris,  in  the  form  of  a  mummy,  is  made  of  bronze,  inlaid 
with  gold.  There  is  a  golden  boat  which  rests  upon  a  wooden 
frame.  It  has  four  bronze  wheels,  and  effigies  of  twelve  row- 
ers, a  helmsman,  and  an  officer  holding  a  baton. 

I  paused  before  the  remains  of  a  statue  of  Taharka.  He 
was  that  Ethiopian  king  who  figures  in  the  ancient  prophets 
(2  Kings  xix,  9;  Isa.  "xxxvii,  9),  and  belonged  to  the  Twenty- 
fifth  Dynasty,  which  conquered  Egypt  and  made  Thebes  their 
capital.  In  the  Bible  his  name  is  spelled  Tirhakah. 

While  in  this  museum  I  was  enabled  to  make  rapid  progress 
in  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  symbolic  mythology  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians.  It  was  impossible  not  to  discern  its  mean- 
ing in  the  luminous  arrangement;  everything  was  classified, 
and  derived  its  allegorical  significance  from  the  fundamental 
doctrine  that  matter  is  eternal  and  can  neither  be  decreased 
nor  increased,  but  is  intelligent  and  has  creative  power.  For 
the  common  people  the  source  of  life  was  described  in  a  per- 


322  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

sonal  form  called  Nun;  the  principle  of  light,  Khepera.  The 
emblem  of  this  was  the  beetle,  scarabceus.  When  the  egg  of 
the  world  was  broken,  the  universe  was  divided  into  three  em- 
pires. A  woman  represents  the  heavenly  and  bends  over  the 
earth ;  on  her  back  floats  the  sun,  the  planets,  and  the  con- 
stellations. The  next  was  the  earth,  and  last  the  infernal 
regions. 

After  all,  as  Bayard  Taylor,  says:  "The  most  striking  fact 
in  all  this  collection  is  the  demonstration  that  the  glory  of 
Egyptian  art  belongs  to  the  age  of  Cheops,  and  only  its  deca- 
dence to  the  age  of  Rameses  II.  Not  only  the  art,  but  the 
culture  and  religion,  the  political  organization  of  Egypt,  are 
carried  back  to  the  Third  Dynasty,  B.  C.  4450;  and  Menes, 
the  first  historic  king,  dawns  upon  our  knowledge,  not  as  a 
primitive  barbarian,  but  as  the  result  of  a  long  stage  of  unre- 
corded development." 

(Wilkinson  assigns  him  to  B.  C.  2320;  Brugsch,  4400;  and 
Mariette,  5004;  but  this  diversity  does  not  affect  the  fact  as  to 
the  stage  of  development  reached  by  Egypt  when  history  first 
finds  it.) 


MOHAMMEDANISM  IN  EGYPT.  323 


CHAPTER  XLI. 
Mohammedanism  in  Egypt. 

Theories  of  Mohammed — Peculiarities  of  the  Koran,  and  its  Teachings — Po- 
lygamy— Mohammedan  Services — University  to  Educate  Mohammedan 
Priests — Chapel  of  the  Blind — Performance  of  Howling  Dervishes — The 
Copts — Coptic  Churches  and  Language — Greek  Church— Protestant  Mis- 
sions. 

THE  religion  of  Mohammed  is  a  mixture  of  Judaism,  Chris- 
tian, and  Persian  religions,  with  many  original  conceptions  by 
the  Prophet  himself.  It  is  impossible  to  understand  it  without 
a  knowledge  of  the  Koran. 

Mohammed  professed  to  believe  that  his  revelation  was  the 
oldest  in  the  world.  He  hated  heathenism  in  every  form,  far 
more  than  the  Christians  or  the  Jews  appear  to  have  done; 
and  as  an  uncompromising  opponent  of  polytheism  he  is  de- 
serving of  respect.  So  intense  was  his  abhorrence  of  paganism 
that  he  repudiated  the  Christian  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  as  he 
understood  it,  with  an  indignation  that  never  allowed  him  or 
his  followers  to  converse  calmly  upon  the  subject.  He  affirmed 
that  it  was  "assigning  partners"  to  the  only  true  God.  Mo- 
hammed did  not  advocate  the  persecution  of  Jews  or  Chris- 
tians, unless  they  opposed  his  teachings;  but  under  all  circum- 
stances idolaters  were  to  be  attacked.  The  fundamental  con- 
fession is:  "There  is  no  god  but  God,  and  Mohammed  is  the 
Prophet  of  God."  This  is  not  all  that  the  Mohammedans  are 
to  believe,  for  they  must  hold  firmly  to  God  and  the  angels, 
written  revelation,  the  prophets,  and  the  resurrection,  judg- 
ment, immortality,  and  an  absolute  fatalistic  predestination. 

In  the  Koran  Abraham,  Noah,  Moses,  and  other  Old  Testa- 
ment characters  frequently  appear — Alexander  the  Great  is 
called  a  prophet — and  singular  stories  are  told  about  them  all. 

Mohammed  teaches  hospitality,  frugality,  and  forbids  put- 
ting money  at  interest,  which  prohibition  is  disregarded.  Un- 
clean animals  are  forbidden,  and  every  kind  of  intoxicating 


324  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

drink.  Each  man  is  allowed  four  wives,  and  Professor  Socin, 
of  Tubingen,  in  an  article  written  for  Baedeker  on  the  manners 
and  customs  of  Mohammedans,  gives  a  description  of  the  effect 
of  this  rule.  The  majority  of  the  Mohammedans,  notwith- 
standing this  privilege,  have  but  one  wife,  "owing  to  the 
difficulty  of  providing  for  several  wives  and  families  at  once." 
The  wives,  moreover,  are  prone  to  quarrel,  to  the  destruction 
of  domestic  peace,  unless  the  husband  can  afford  to  assign 
them  separate  houses. 

I  witnessed  such  a  state  of  things  in  Utah  when  visiting  Salt 
Lake  City  in  1871.  There  I  was  the  guest  of  a  man  who  had 
three  wives.  The  first  was  old,  the  second  middle-aged,  and 
the  third  young.  The  first  was  decrepit,  the  second  was  the 
manager,  and  treated  the  former  comparatively  well.  When 
the  husband  proposed  to  marry  the  third,  the  second  was  in- 
dignant, and  complained  to  the  first,  who  replied: 

"He  broke  my  heart  when  he  married  you,  and  I  don't  care 
how  many  more  he  takes." 

"Well,"  said  number  two,  "  she  shall  never  come  here"  and 
she  did  not,  being  supported  in  another  house. 

At  least  five  times  a  day  must  the  faithful  Moslem  pray,  and 
there  is  a  prayer  corresponding  to  the  Lord's  Prayer,  which  is 
much  used : 

"In  the  name  of  God,  the  merciful  and  gracious. 
Praise  be  to  God,  the  Lord  of  creatures,  the  merciful  and 
gracious,  the  Prince  of  the  day  of  judgment;  we  serve  thee, 
and  we  pray  to  thee  for  help;  lead  us  in  the  right  way  of  those 
to  whom  thou  hast  shown  mercy,  upon  whom  no  wrath  resteth, 
and  who  go  not  astray.  Amen." 

Unbelievers  are  not  admitted  to  ordinary  services  in  the 
mosque,  but  are  driven  out  as  the  sacred  hour  approaches. 
By  feeing  custodians  we  were  occasionally  permitted  to  look 
through  the  windows  at  their  service.  Without  an  image  or 
music,  or  any  external  aid  to  the  senses,  they  prostrate  them- 
selves before  God,  reverently  adoring  him,  repeating  the 
names  of  his  attributes,  and  are  ready  to  die  for  their  faith 
with  a  stolid  heroism  which  would  defy  the  force,  ingenuity, 
and  munitions  of  inquisition  and  death  of  the  mightiest  mon- 
archies and  religious  organizations  on  the  globe. 


MOHAMMEDANISM  IN  EGYPT.  325 

To  say  that  Mohammedanism  is  a  dying  religion  appears  to 
me  incorrect.  Of  course,  it  has  different  contending  sects, 
and  where  it  comes  in  contact  with  European  religions  its  vo- 
taries are  corrupted,  their  strictness  is  relaxed,  and  they  as- 
sume the'garb  and  customs  of  unbelievers.  Different  systems 
of  philosophy  arise ;  skepticism  appears,  and  as  there  are  infidel 
nominal  Catholics,  depraved  and  almost  pagan  Christian  sects, 
unbelieving,  scoffing  Protestants,  so  among  the  Mohammedans 
can  be  found  similar  degrees  of  faith  and  unfaith.  But  this 
state  of  things,  however  much  it  may  be  deplored,  does  not  im- 
ply that  Christianity  is  dying;  neither  does  a  similar  condition 
imply  the  decay  of  Mohammedanism.  It  develops  in  the  Sou- 
dan and  elsewhere  the  same  fanatical  devotion,  and,  in  my 
judgment,  will  exist  for  hundreds  of  years,  capturing  new 
tribes  in  the  far  East,  and  on  the  frontiers  resisting  every 
encroachment.  When  it  arose  its  type  of  civilization  made 
it  possible  to  contend  for  centuries,  successfully,  upon  the  field 
of  battle.  It  can  do  that  no  longer  when  in  conflict  with 
European  powers;  but  the  vastness  of  the  East  is  not  under- 
stood; its  immense  populations  are  not  comprehended;  only 
upon  the  surface  and  the  outskirts  is  Mohammedanism  mate- 
rially modified. 

In  Cairo  is  a  university  for  the  instruction  of  Mohammedan 
priests.  Its  seat  is  the  ancient  Mosque  of  Gami-el-Azhar,  and 
it  was  transformed  into  a  university  about  the  year  of  our 
Lord  980.  From  ten  to  twelve  thousand  students  assemble 
here  every  day;  in  point  of  numbers  leading  all  the  universi- 
ties of  the  world.  We  saw  the  students  grouped  around  the 
professors.  Some  had  no  books;  others  were  swaying  to  and 
fro  getting  their  lessons;  others  listening  to  the  expositions  of 
the  teacher.  There  are  four  different  sects,  and  each  has  a 
niche.  The  students  were  assembled  in  different  places,  ac- 
cording to  the  countries  whence  they  came;  and  these  places 
are  called  Riwaks,  as,  the  Riwak  of  the  WTest  Africans,  of  the 
Syrians,  Bagdadites,  and  of  those  who  come  from  Mecca  and 
Medina. 

The  whole  number  of  Sheiks,  or  professors,  is  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty.  Tuition  is  free,  all  the  mosques  being  en- 
dowed, and  an  annual  subsidy  is  distributed  to  each  Riwak. 


326  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  ordinary  time  necessary  to  graduate  is  three  years;  but 
some  remain  as  long  as  six  or  seven.  The  Sheiks  get  no  sal- 
ary, but  earn  a  living  by  teaching  in  private  houses,  and  it  is 
understood  that  such  pupils  often  make  gifts  to  their  pro- 
fessors. 

We  saw  the  president.  He  receives  a  salary,  and  is  a  dignified 
man,  apparently  much  beloved,  and  we  were  told  that  he  is  a 
great  wit.  The  finest  specimen  of  oriental  courtesy  I  saw 
was  when  he  bowed  to  the  students  and  indicated  to  them 
that  the  lesson  for  the  day  was  over. 

Students  who  do  not  speak  Arabic  have  to  begin  by  master- 
ing the  grammar;  they  then  proceed  with  religious  instruction, 
after  which  conies  the  study  of  law,  ecclesiastical  and  secular, 
logic,  rhetoric,  poetry,  and  elocution.  Authorities  agree  that 
instruction  is  purely  memoriter.  At  graduation  they  receive 
diplomas,  and  can  go  forth  to  teach.  This,  though  the  larg- 
est university,  is  not  the  only  one. 

A  curious  little  chapel  is  known  as  the  Chapel  of  the  Blind. 
These  students  have  always  been  fanatical,  engage  in  riots, 
and  display  a  singular  power  of  finding  and  assaulting  their 
foes. 

I  could  not  see  the  spinning  dervishes  when  in  Egypt,  for 
during  my  first  visit  to  Cairo  the  head  spinner  was  disabled; 
during  my  absence  he  died,  and  for  a  month  or  more  after  his 
demise  his  devotees  would  not  spin.  But  the  howling  der- 
vishes performed  every  Friday  afternoon.  I  was  present  on 
one  occasion,  and  narrowly  observed  all  that  was  done.  The 
monastery  is  in  a  suburb  of  Cairo,  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile. 
At  the  appointed  time  the  Sheik,  whose  office  is  hereditary, 
sits  down  in  front  of  the  niche  called  the  Kibleh,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Mecca,  and  the  dervishes,  sitting  crosslegged  upon  the 
ground,  form  a  large  semicircle.  Visitors  stand  outside  a  rail- 
ing four  or  five  feet  high.  There  is  no  charge  for  admission. 

Either  the  Sheik  or  a  person  appointed  by  him  offers  a  brief 
prayer;  then  the  dervishes  utter  in  a  loud  voice  the  name  of 
God,  Allah,  and  declare  his  unity — "  La  ilaha  il  Allah. "  The 
moment  they  have  done  this  they  rise  and  come  into  the  view 
of  visitors  not  fortunate  enough  to  secure  a  position  next  the 
railing.  It  was  a  weird  spectacle.  The  dervishes  were 


Howling  Dervish. 


MOHAMMEDANISM  IN  EGYPT.  329 

peculiarly  dressed,  and  of  different  complexions,  some  being 
pure  Negroes  from  the  Soudan.  Without  exception  their 
voices  were  guttural  and  as  harsh  as  the  suppressed  roar  of  the 
lion,  and  some  of  them  as  rasping  as  a  camel's  growl. 

The  deputy  of  the  Sheik  was  a  fine-looking  man,  of  intellec- 
tual cast  and  noble  figure,  with  features  and  form  not  unlike 
those  in  portraits  of  Thomas  Jefferson.  He  wore  green  spec- 
tacles with  gold  bows.  Every  motion  was  graceful  and 
dignified,  his  voice  soft  and  musical,  and  I  was  told  that  he 
is  an  educated  man. 

There  were  fifty  dervishes,  one  of  whom  was  a  small  and 
handsome  boy.  Their  hair  was  from  one  to  three  feet  in 
length,  abundant,  and  as  black,  coarse,  and  straight  as  the 
hair  in  a  horse's  tail.  Once  upon  their  feet,  the  men  repeated 
in  a  monotone  the  words  which  they  had  first  uttered,  and 
other  passages  from  the  Koran,  thrusting  their  heads  backward 
and  forward  as  they  spoke,  bending  so  that  the  upper  part  of 
their  bodies  formed  nearly  a  right  angle  with  their  legs. 

At  first  the  motion  was  slow  and  in  perfect  time,  and  the 
sound  chiefly  occupied  the  attention  of  the  observer.  It  is 
difficult  to  impart  any  idea  of  the  volume  of  sound.  The 
voices  of  women  who  have  raved  in  insanity  for  years  some- 
times undergo  such  a  change  that  it  is  difficult,  their  forms 
not  seen,  to  believe  that  they  are  not  men  of  the  largest 
proportions.  What,  then,  must  be  the  effect  of  the  contin- 
ual repetition  of  these  words  upon  voices  naturally  guttural  ? 

As  they  proceeded  the  time  grew  more  rapid  and  their 
voices  waxed  so  loud  as  to  become  positively  terrible.  Ladies 
retired  long  before  the  exercises  were  ended ;  and  a  gentleman 
from  London  took  his  departure,  saying  that  he  had  an  almost 
irresistible  impulse  to  jump  over  the  rail  and  begin  to  repeat 
with  the  dervishes.  The  deputy  merely  kept  time.  At  the 
left  of  the  Sheik  were  the  musicians,  who  performed  upon  the 
flute  and  a  very  long  horn,  and  beat  upon  immense  tambour- 
ines and  small  metal  drums. 

Toward  the  climax  the  vehemence  of  the  performance  was 
appalling.  Many  seemed  to  become  unconscious  of  their  sur- 
roundings; their  hair  streamed  out  in  masses,  and  divided, 
flowing  over  their  faces  and  at  the  sides  of  their  heads,  and 
18 


330  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

sometimes  seemed  to  stand  literally  on  end  as  though  a  solid 
body.  One  visitor  claimed  that  a  man  near  him  who  moved 
his  feet  frequently  emitted  electric  sparks.  I  did  not  see  this, 
but  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  it  is  incredible. 

Some  of  the  dervishes  turned  toward  the  visitors  with 
the  aspect  of  maniacs;  others  frothed  at  the  mouth  like  dogs 
with  hydrophobia,  and  near  the  close  a  gigantic  Negro  be- 
came wild.  He  shouted,  threw  back  his  head,  was  seized  by 
two  of  the  others,  and  sank  into  a  cataleptic  trance.  Our  guide 
translated  some  of  his  expressions,  which  were  enthusiastic 
utterances  of  the  names  and  attributes  of  the  Deity,  and  the 
guide  told  us  that  "  the  power  frequently  came  upon  them  in 
that  way." 

There  were  three  divisions  of  the  service  without  intermis- 
sion, the  transitions  being  marked  by  a  lowering  of  the  tones 
and  a  gradual  slowing  of  the  motions.  I  would  not  have  be- 
lieved it  possible  for  the  human  body  to  sustain  such  contor- 
tions without  a  rush  of  blood  to  the  head,  accompanied  by 
convulsions  or  apoplexy.  The  vehemence  and  rapidity  of  the 
movements  exceeded  any  acrobatic  performance,  while  the 
howls  would  have  put  a  whole  menagerie  to  flight;  but  what  a 
man  does  every  day  he  can  do  any  day. 

At  last  the  Sheik  waved  his  hand;  there  was  silence,  and  he 
offered  a  prayer  in  a  low  tone.  Then  all  repeated  the  word 
Hoo,  the  meaning  of  which  is  "He,"  referring  to  God,  and, 
one  by  one,  kissing  the  hand  of  the  Sheik,  they  passed  out 
through  the  center  of  the  building. 

The  howling  dervishes  carry  on  ordinary  business.  They 
train  their  male  children  to  be  their  successors,  and  are  not, 
either  by  the  intelligent  Mohammedans  or  the  public,  thought 
to  be  specially  devout.  The  performance,  whatever  it  was 
originally,  is  now  a  mixture  of  fanaticism  and  formalism. 

The  Christian  religion  early  obtained  an  ascendency  in 
Egypt,  and  would  probably  have  maintained  it  had  it  not  been 
divided  into  sects  upon  metaphysical  questions,  and  engaged  in 
internecine  wars.  It  was  about  638  that  the  Arabs  conquered 
the  country;  the  majority  of  the  peasants  accepted  the  Mo- 
hammedan faith,  and  to-day  nine  tenths  of  the  population  of 
Egypt  are  of  that  religion.  Many  of  the  Copts,  however, 


MOHAMMEDANISM  IN  EGYPT.  331 

"undoubtedly  the  most  direct  descendants  of  the  ancient 
Egyptians,"  have  adhered  to  Christianity.  They  belong  to  an 
ancient  sect  called  Eutychians,  otherwise  known  as  Monophysites, 
the  chief  point  in  their  belief  being  that  Christ  had  no  human 
nature,  but  was  wholly  divine. 

As  a  class  the  Copts  pursue  the  indoor  trades;  are  jewelers, 
tailors,  etc. ;  and  their  aptitude  for  mathematics  brings  them 
into  demand  also  as  accountants,  bookkeepers,  and  clerks. 
In  some  respects  their  characters  do  not  compare  favorably 
with  the  Arabs.  Many  use  spirituous  liquors  to  excess,  and  they 
are  also  accused  of  not  having  as  fixed  principles  of  honesty  as 
their  Mohammedan  neighbors.  The  general  testimony  of 
travelers  and  diplomatic  agents  in  Egypt  is  to  this  effect. 
The  inmates  of  the  convents  did  not  favorably  impress  me; 
the  religious  services  were  the  least  elevating  that  I  have  seen 
under  the  Christian  name,  and  were  longer  than  those  of  the 
Greek  Church.  The  people  revere  the  Bible,  and  many  know 
by  heart  the  gospels. 

I  visited  several  of  their  churches,  which  are  numerous 
in  proportion  to  the  worshipers.  Their  pulpits  are  generally 
of  marble;  and  the  buildings  contain  many  shrines  for  relics 
of  saints.  Much  use  is  made  of  processional  crosses,  and  I 
saw  one  long  procession  in  Cairo  in  which  these  were  used 
with  flags  attached.  Some  of  the  churches  are  famous 
for  beautiful  antique  silver  and  brass  censers;  some  of  these 
having  bells  attached  to  the  chains.  There  are  also  rich  cov- 
erings made  of  silver,  silver-gilt,  or  iron,  for  copies  of  the  gos- 
pels, and  inside  these  cases  the  gospels  are  "hermetically 
sealed."  The  communion  is  administered  in  both  wine  and 
bread,  and  is  given  to  children ;  and  during  the  administration 
the  priests  are  always  barefooted — an  ancient  practice,  which 
is  said  to  have  taken  its  rise  from  God's  command  to  Moses  to 
take  off  his  shoes  at  the  burning  bush.  I  was  present  at  a 
communion  service;  the  chief  ecclesiastics  were  clad  in  gor- 
geous vestments  and  behaved  in  a  dignified  manner,  but  the 
communicants  rushed  up  to  receive  the  elements  without  re- 
gard to  reverence. 

The  Coptic  language  is  not  used  to  any  extent  in  the  Church, 
neither  do  the  Copts  generally  understand  it,  and  where  a  few 


332  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

prayers  are  used  in  Coptic  they  are  immediately  repeated  in 
Arabic  for  the  benefit  of  the  hearers.  The  number  of  Copts 
in  Egypt  is  something  less  than  four  hundred  thousand.  In 
appearance  they  are  usually  diminutive  in  size  and  lighter  in 
color  than  the  Arabs,  and  wear  turbans  of  blue  or  black, 
which  no  Mohammedan  ever  does. 

The  Greek  Church  has  quite  a  large  number  of  members  in 
Egypt,  and  the  Catholic  Church  many  adherents  among  the 
French  population.  Foreigners,  wherever  they  exist  in  con- 
siderable numbers,  have  brought  their  religion  with  them. 
The  Roman  Catholic  missions  have  not  been  successful  in 
Egypt.  Altogether  the  native  and  foreign  Christians  com- 
pose about  one  tenth  of  the  population. 

To  our  own  country  belongs  the  honor  of  establishing  and 
carrying  forward  successfully  a  Protestant  mission  in  Egypt. 
This  was  begun  in  1854,  and  carries  on  its  work  under 
three  departments — the  evangelistic,  educational,  and  publish- 
ing. The  work  of  the  mission  (United  Presbyterian)  extends 
from  Alexandria  to  Assouan,  and  includes  the  district  of 
Fayum.  In  the  college  at  Asyoot  and  the  three  schools  for 
boys  at  Cairo,  Mansurah,  and  Alexandria  there  are  over  a 
thousand  students.  I  met  the  graduates  from  these  schools 
everywhere,  speaking  excellent  English  and  exhibiting  re- 
markable intelligence.  Some  were  acting  as  guides,  some  as 
railway,  telegraph,  and  consular  agents,  and  still  others  as 
teachers. 

There  is  a  large  number  of  girls  in  the  mission  schools 
(over  eleven  hundred),  and  besides  these  there  are  seventy-one 
native  schools  taught  by  teachers  who  have  been  trained  in 
the  American  mission  schools  under  Protestant  influences; 
and  each  of  these  is  self-supporting.  I  was  interested  to 
ascertain  the  religions  of  the  pupils.  Out  of  five  thousand 
five  hundred  and  ninety-six,  nine  hundred  and  sixty-two  were 
Protestants,  three  thousand  four  hundred  and  forty-three  were 
Copts,  seven  hundred  and  seventeen  Mohammedans,  forty-five 
Roman  Catholics,  one  hundred  and  sixteen  Greeks,  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-four  Jews,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  of 
various  other  sects.  The  work  is  conducted  on  the  principle 
of  making  them  pay  so  far  as  they  are  able,  and  three  thou- 


MOHAMMEDANISM  IN  EGYPT.  333 

sand  eight  hundred  and  eighty-two  paid  something.  The 
whole  number  of  church  members  in  the  mission  is  two 
thousand  three  hundred  and  seven,  and  there  is  a  steady  in- 
crease every  year.  The  scholars  in  the  Sabbath  school  are 
about  five  thousand.  Nearly  all  the  converts  have  been  from 
among  the  Copts,  and  the  chief  part  of  their  success  has  been 
in  upper  Egypt. 

One  question  received  a  suggestive  answer:  "What  pro- 
portion of  your  communicants  have  been  converted  from  Mo- 
hammedanism? "  The  entire  number  was  less  than  a  hundred. 
The  tenacity  of  the  Mohammedan  has  as  yet  defied  the  efforts 
of  other  religions.  It  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  imbed  itself  in  the 
memory  and  to  develop  a  stubborn  adherence.  While  in  Egypt 
I  talked  with  a  score  of  intelligent  Mohammedans,  who  were 
charitably  disposed,,  liberal-minded  men;  but  when  I  ventured 
to  suggest  doubts  concerning  the  superiority  of  Mohammed- 
anism to  Christianity,  they  called  my  attention  to  Roman 
Catholicism  and  the  Greek  Church,  and  with  proud  yet  digni- 
fied scorn  asked:  "Shall  we  give  up  one  God  and  take  their 
images  ?  Never  !  There  is  one  God,  and  Mohammed  is  his 
prophet."  I  had  a  long  conversation  with  a  Mohammedan 
young  man  at  Thebes,  who  had  been  educated  at  the  Ameri- 
can Protestant  school  at  Asyoot,  and  asked  him  how  I  could 
become  a  Mohammedan  if  I  wished  to  do  so.  He  explained 
the  process,  and  what  would  be  done  in  my  honor  in  the 
villages  if  I  would  accept  the  true  faith.  His  opinion  of  the 
Protestants  was  that  they  were  good  people  who  were  trying 
to  improve  on  the  old  Christianity,  and  if  they  would  but  go 
a  little  farther  they  would  become  true  Mohammedans. 


334  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 
The  Suez  Canal,   and  the  Last  of  Egypt. 

An  Entertainment  at  the  House  of  Dr.  Grant  Bey — Mr.  Petrie — A  Sandstorm 
— By  Rail  to  the  Suez  Canal — Ismailia — History  and  Description  of  the 
Canal — Ride  on  the  Canal  to  Port  Said — Characteristics  of  the  Place — 
Festivities  at  the  Opening  of  the  Canal — Leaving  Africa. 

THE  most  helpful  acquaintance  made  by  our  party  in  Cairo 
was  Dr.  Grant  Bey,  previously  referred  to  in  connection  with 
his  services  as  a  physician.  His  residence  is  the  resort  of  all 
the  learned,  and,  like  the  abode  of  Dr.  Schlieman,  in  Athens, 
besides  being  a  dwelling  and  a  professional  office,  it  is  a 
museum.  It  is  the  habit  of  the  cultured  host  to  invite  his 
friends  from  time  to  time  for  a  seance.  Dr.  Bancroft  and  I 
twice  had  the  opportunity  of  being  present. 

The  guests  arrived  about  eight  o'clock,  and  spent  an  hour 
or  more  in  the  capacious  parlors,  engaged  in  mutual  intro- 
ductions and  pleasant  social  intercourse.  A  little  after  nine, 
Dr.  Grant  read  a  paper  upon  an  important  branch  of  Egyp- 
tology. During  the  reading  coffee,  tea,  and  sherbet  were 
served  at  intervals  of  twenty  or  twenty-five  minutes,  in  true 
oriental  fashion.  The  servants  moved  as  noiselessly  as  the 
far-famed  slaves  of  the  Caliph  Haroun-al-Raschid,  and  the 
reading  of  the  paper  was  not  intermitted.  Whenever  Dr. 
Grant  referred  to  any  particular  relic  of  Egyptian  civilization, 
as  confirming  or  illustrating  the  point  under  discussion,  the 
specimens,  if  small  enough,  were  passed  from  hand  to  hand;  if 
large  they  were  pointed  out.  So  numerous  and  valuable  are 
Dr.  Grant's  possessions  that  they  would  give  fame  to  any  city 
in  this  country,  if  collected  and  classified  in  a  museum  of 
Egyptian  antiquities. 

I  had  the  rare  good  fortune  to  meet  the  most  distin- 
guished living  Egyptian  explorer,  Mr.  Petrie.  Like  many 
men  distinguished  for  extraordinary  perseverance,  physical 
endurance,  and  heroism,  Mr.  Petrie  is  in  no  way  remarkable  in 


THE  SUEZ  CANAL,  AND  THE  LAST  OF  EGYPT.        335 

appearance  beyond  having  a  keen,  black  eye,  dark  features, 
and  a  well-knit  frame.  He  is  equally  interesting  as  a  writer 
or  talker.  More  recently,  at  Dr.  Grant's,  Major  General  Sir 
Francis  Grenfell  Pasha,  in  proposing  a  vote  of  thanks,  re- 
marked that  Mr.  Petrie  combines  in  an  unequaled  degree 
the  scholar,  the  archaeologist,  and  the  practical  worker  in  the 
field  of  Egyptian  exploration,  and  that  he  is  a  man  of  whom 
England  may  well  be  proud.  He  has  discovered  proofs 
of  the  art  of  writing  four  thousand  years  ago,  which  demon- 
strate that  "the  long-disputed  question,  whether  Homer 
could  have  committed  his  Iliad  to  writing,  may  be  decided  in 
the  affirmative." 

To  meet  such  a  man,  to  note  the  quiet  enthusiasm  with 
which  he  spoke  of  his  work,  the  total  absence  of  pretense, 
familiarizes  the  mind  with  these  explorations,  and  gives  a  cur- 
rent interest  to  the  successive  announcements  of  his  dis- 
coveries. 

Two  well-known  Americans  were  in  Cairo:  ex-President 
Andrew  D.  White,  of  Cornell  University,  and  the  Rev.  Bishop 
Charles  H.  Fowler.  The  latter  was  returning  from  a  tour 
among  the  missions  of  his  Church  in  China  and  Japan;  the 
former  was  abroad  to  investigate  some  important  scientific 
questions,  as  well  as  to  recuperate  his  health. 

By  this  time  a  number  of  our  fellow-passengers  on  the  Nile 
had  succumbed  to  the  peculiar  influence  which  prostrated 
several  before  the  voyage  ended.  Strange  to  say,  the  athletes 
of  the  party  suffered  most.  During  our  last  sojourn  in  Cairo 
a  heavy  sandstorm  raged,  and  though  we  were  seven  or  eight 
miles  from  the  desert,  a  great  part  of  the  time  the  whole  city 
was  rendered  as  dark  as  London  in  the  thickest  fog.  The  at- 
mosphere was  filled  with  particles  which,  blown  by  heavy 
gusts  of  wind  against  the  houses,  trees,  and  human  beings, 
covered  them  almost  as  though  it  were  a  blizzard  of  snow. 
We  had  many  experiences  of  this  sort  while  on  the  Nile,  and 
it  would  be  difficult  to  decide  which  is  more  to  be  dreaded,  a 
blizzard  on  the  plains,  or  a  sandstorm  in  the  desert. 

We  left  Cairo,  going  by  rail  along  the  skirts  of  the  Arabian 
desert  to  Ismailia  on  the  Suez  Canal.  After  a  few  miles  had 
been  traveled  black  clouds  appeared.  It  had  been  a  long 


336  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

time  since  we  had  seen  anything  of  the  kind.  Every  appear- 
ance indicated  a  storm  of  violence,  and  soon  a  few  drops  of 
rain,  the  first  that  we  had  seen  in  Egypt,  struck  against  the 
car  windows.  We  involuntarily  remarked  simultaneously, 
"There  will  be  a  heavy  shower."  But  after  a  dashing  of 
water,  such  as  would  be  produced  by  the  throwing  of  a  few 
pailfuls  upon  the  train,  all  was  over.  The  clouds  were  chiefly 
wind,  but  sometimes  a  little  rain  falls  in  this  part  of  Egypt. 
In  Cairo  it  averages  only  one  and  a  half  inches  per  year,  and 
in  Alexandria  about  eight  inches. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  Ismailia,  which  is  a  pre- 
possessing place.  The  roads  are  broad,  the  trees  beautiful, 
and  there  are  fine  houses  and  estates.  The  object  of  especial 
interest  was  the  residence  of  M.  de  Lesseps,  the  first  house 
built.  It  is  in  the  style  prevalentin  Switzerland.  The  climate 
is  delightful;  fresh  breezes  blow  by  day  and  night,  winter  and 
summer,  and  altogether  it  is  as  attractive  a  place  for  residence 
as  Egypt  contains. 

Here  I  had  the  first  view  of  the  Suez  Canal,  the  greatest 
work  of  modern  times.  The  ancients,  however,  in  this  antic- 
ipated the  moderns.  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  that  universal 
genius,  in  1798  examined  the  remains  of  old  canals,  and 
ordered  certain  scientific  men  to  make  surveys  and  "prepare 
a  project  for  uniting  the  two  seas  by  a  direct  canal."  They 
prepared  an  elaborate  report,  but  it  was  not  completed  until 
after  the  French  had  evacuated  Egypt. 

In  1855,  after  many  projects,  a  plan  was  made  by  M. 
Linant  Bey  and  M.  Mougel  Bey;  de  Lesseps  having  had  a 
"first  firman  of  concession  "  from  Said  Pasha,  the  prospectus 
drawn  up  by  the  two  individuals  just  mentioned  was  under 
his  superintendency.  In  1856  the  project  was  submitted 
to  the  International  Commission,  consisting  of  delegates  from 
Austria,  France,  Holland,  England,  Italy,  Spain,  and  Prussia. 
After  various  modifications  were  decided  upon  the  Suez  Canal 
Company  was  formed. 

The  father  of  M.  de  Lesseps,  who  was  Napoleon's  chief  of 
police  in  Moscow,  was  the  first  representative  of  France  in 
Egypt,  and  his  son  for  seven  years  (1831-38)  was  consul  at 
Cairo,  and  therefore  understood  the  whole  subject.  England 


THE  SUEZ  CANAL,  AND  THE  LAST  OF  EGYPT.        337 

interfered  to  prevent  the  accomplishment  of  the  plan.  De 
Lesseps  opened  a  subscription.  The  capital  was  to  be  eight 
million  pounds,  the  shares  twenty  pounds  each.  In  1859  work 
was  begun.  Four  fifths  of  the  workmen  were  to  be  Egyptians, 
who  were  conscripted  from  all  parts  of  the  country."  By  1863 
the  conscription  ceased,  as  the  drain  was  twenty  thousand 
fresh  laborers  a  month,  and  agriculture  suffered.  Hence 
machinery  had  to  be  invented  to  take  the  place  of  manual 
labor.  The  first  cost  of  that  machinery  was  twelve  millions  of 
dollars,  and  it  consumed  each  month  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  fuel. 

Ismailia  is  midway  between  the  two  seas  connected  by  the 
canal,  and  at  the  center  of  Lake  Timsah.  The  whole  distance 
from  Suez  to  Port  Said  is  one  hundred  miles,  and  the  canal  first 
runs  through  the  plain  of  Suez,  a  sort  of  marshy  lagoon  grad- 
ually rising  from  the  sea  to  the  heights  of  Shaloof. 

This  part  of  the  canal  is  ten  miles  long.  The  cutting  of 
Shaloof  runs  five  miles  through  tenacious  soil  and  rocks 
covered  with  sand.  Then  the  canal  enters  the  chain  called 
the  "  Bitter  Lakes,"  twenty-five  miles  in  length,  and  this  is  fol- 
lowed by  a  detour  from  the  lakes  of  two  miles,  and  two  other 
cuttings  six  miles  long,  when  Lake  Timsah  is  entered,  which 
is  five  miles  in  length,  the  distance  from  that  point  to  Port 
Said  being  forty-seven  miles.  Where  the  banks  are  low  the 
canal  is  three  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  wide;  where 
they  are  high,  one  hundred  and  ninety.  At  its  base  the  canal 
is  seventy-two  feet  wide,  and  its  depth  is  twenty-six  feet.  Not 
till  the  eighteenth  of  March,  1869,  was  the  water  of  the  Medi- 
terranean allowed  to  flow  in. 

We  rode  along  the  canal  from  Ismailia  to  Port  Said  upon  a 
postal  steam  launch  called  the  Osiris.  It  was  crowded,  the 
wind  was  high  on  the  lakes,  and  the  ride  was  not  especially 
pleasant.  Having  been  so  long  accustomed  to  the  heat  of 
upper  Egypt,  the  wind  was  chilling,  and  overcoats  and  blan- 
kets comfortable.  Where  the  desert  rose  above  the  banks, 
nothing  but  sand  could  be  seen;  but  there  were  frequent  stops, 
at  some  points  long  enough  to  admit  of  short  excursions  into 
the  surrounding  deserts.  We  passed  steamers  of  all  nations; 
the  larger  vessels  are  required  to  travel  at  the  rate  of  less 


338  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

than  seven  miles  an  hour,  because  a  more  rapid  motion,  by 
the  washing  of  the  waves,  would  injure  the  embankments. 
One  of  these  monsters  in  the  lock  forms  a  spectacle  of  rare 
interest. 

From  England  to  Bombay  the  saving  by  the  canal  is  4,840 
miles ;  from  New  York,  3,600 ;  from  St.  Petersburg,  4,840; 
from  Marseilles,  5,940 ;  and  from  London  to  Hong-Kong, 
4, 1 17  miles. 

On  approaching  the  harbor  of  Port  Said,  the  canal  spreads 
to  the  width  of  one  thousand  feet,  and,  leaving  the  port  and 
town  on  the  left,  makes  its  connection  with  the  open  sea. 
The  town  owes  its  origin  to  the  canal,  and  has  a  population  of 
nearly  twenty  thousand,  of  whom  a  third  are  Europeans,  most 
of  them  French,  and  morally  this  city  is  one  of  the  worst  places 
in  the  world.  Not  that  the  permanent  residents  universally 
deserve  this  description,  but  at  all  times  it  is  overrun  by 
sailors  of  every  nationality,  and  those  who  pander  to  their  de- 
praved tastes  are  indescribably  corrupt.  There  is  no  standard 
which  prevents  the  exhibition  of  every  form  of  iniquity,  so  that 
those  of  a  sensitive  disposition  need  to  learn  the  art  of  not 
seeing  or  hearing  as  they  pass  along  the  streets,  even  in  the 
daytime. 

I  fell  in  with  a  citizen  who  was  present  November  16,  1869, 
at  the  opening  of  the  canal.  His  description  of  the  festivities 
was  graphic,  and  if  it  cost  the  Khedive  twenty-one  million 
dollars,  as  has  been  stated,  they  certainly  should  have  sur- 
passed anything  the  world  has  ever  seen. 

At  Port  Said  we  took  passage  on  the  steamer  Senegal,  of  the 
Messagaries  Maritimes  Line,  and  sailed  on  a  voyage  which, 
beginning  in  Africa,  was  to  end  in  Asia.  Again  we  saw  the 
Mediterranean,  and  with  little  satisfaction,  jiot  merely  because 
of  the  memory  and  anticipation  of  storms  and  seasickness, 
but  because  it  meant  that  we  should  depart  out  of  Egypt. 
Its  rivers,  ruins,  Pyramids,  and  people  have  left  an  impression 
not  to  be  effaced;  and  the  memory  of  an  atmosphere  trans- 
lucent, of  a  desert  more  awful,  if  not  more  sublime,  than  moun- 
tain or  ocean,  a  sky  "inlaid  with  patens  of  bright  gold,"  and 
gardens  as  fertile  as  Eden,  will  ever  abide. 


ENTERING  THE  HOLY  LAND.  341 


CHAPTER    XLIII. 
Entering  the  Holy  Land. 

Approaching  the  Turkish  Empire — The  Harbor  at  Jaffa — Landing — Ancient 
History — Modern  Features — Fruit  and  Flowers — People — Incident  of 
Napoleon  Bonaparte. 

WHATEVER  his  creed,  who  can  approach  the  borders  of  the 
Turkish  empire  without  reverence  for  its  domain,  when  he  re- 
flects that  it  contains  the  sacred  places  of  Judaism,  Christian- 
ity, and  Mohammedanism?  The  first  rays  of  dawn  faintly 
illuminated  the  low  shore  as  the  Senegal  drew  near.  We  were 
upon  deck  before  the  stars  were  out  of  sight,  and  watched 
every  movement  upon  ship,  sea,  and  shore.  As  light  increased 
the  mountains  of  Judea  held  the  gaze  of  all  to  whom  the 
scene  was  new,  until  in  the  distance  the  lofty  battlements  of 
Jaffa  (ancient  Joppa)  came  slowly  into  view. 

We  came  to  anchor  half  a  mile  from  shore,  and  were  for- 
tunate that  we  could  land  at  all.  Jaffa,  though  one  of  the 
worst  in  the  world,  is  the  only  natural  harbor  in  Palestine 
south  of  Haifa.  If  going  from  the  south  it  is  a  common  ex- 
perience of  travelers  to  be  carried  by  to  Haifa,  or  to  Beirut; 
if  going  the  other  way,  to  Port  Said.  When  the  sea  is  entirely 
smooth  without,  it  is  often  dangerously  rough  in  this  rock- 
bound,  rock-divided  harbor  of  irregular  depth.  The  city  lies 
at  the  foot  of  a  rock  one  hundred  and  sixteen  feet  high,  along 
the  slopes  of  which  are  built  houses  of  soft  sandstone,  light  in 
color.  These  houses,  rising  one  abcfve  another,  present  an 
imposing  appearance,  similar  to  that  of  the  citadel  at  Quebec. 

Baedeker  places  first,  in  his  summary  of  works  descriptive 
of  Palestine,  the  Bible,  "which  [he  says]  supplies  us  with  the 
best  and  most  accurate  information  regarding  Palestine,  ex- 
tending back  to  a  very  remote  period,  and  should  be  carefully 
consulted  by  the  traveler  at  every  place  of  importance  as  he 
proceeds  on  his  journey." 

When  the  boatmen  came  on  board  a  scene  of  excitement  and 


342  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

tumult  began,  the  like  of  which  we  had  not  witnessed  since 
arriving  at  Alexandria.  Two  rival  tourist  companies  were 
represented  by  agents,  who  came  to  superintend  the  debarka- 
tion of  passengers  using  their  tickets.  The  advantage  of 
being  connected  with  one  of  these  was  soon  seen.  All  trouble 
was  taken  by  their  agents,  whose  baggage  boats  were  pre- 
ceded by  highly  ornamented  crafts  in  which  they  rode.  They 
took  charge  of  the  luggage,  drove  back  boatmen,  and  saw 
that  their  passengers  were  safely  lowered.  The  yells  and 
confusion  were  terrifying  to  the  inexperienced. 

Showers  were  falling  as  we  landed,  and  magnificent  was  the 
spectacle  of  clouds,  with  intervals  of  blue  sky  and  rainbows, 
and  all  the  wondrous  phenomena  for  which  we  had  so  long 
sighed  under  the  hot,  ever  blue,  dazzling  sky  of  Egypt.  The 
rain,  however,  had  turned  dust  into  mud,  and  as  we  ascended 
the  hill  along  the  narrow  streets,  encountering  donkeys  and 
troops  of  camels,  it  required  skill  and  effort  to  climb  the  steep 
incline.  At  the  summit  we  found  carriages,  which  took  us  to 
our  hotel  outside  the  walls. 

When  Joshua  divided  the  land  of  Canaan  the  seventh  lot 
was  for  the  children  of  Dan,  and  it  ended  with  the  territory 
before  Japho  (Joppa).  Up  to  that  time  it  had  been  a  Phoeni- 
cian colony.  When  Solomon  sent  to  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  to 
procure  suitable  wood  to  build  the  temple,  his  specifications 
called  for  cedar,  firs,  and  algum  trees  from  Lebanon,  and 
Hiram  wrote:  "We  will  cut  wood  out  of  Lebanon,  as  much  as 
thou  shalt  need:  and  we  will  bring  it  to  thee  in  floats  by  sea 
to  Joppa;  and  thou  shalt  carry  it  up  to  Jerusalem." 

Five  hundred  years  afterward,  when  the  temple  was  rebuilt 
by  Zerubbabel,  the  prophet  Ezra  tells  us  that  the  masons  and 
carpenters  of  Sidon  and  Tyre  brought  "cedar  trees  from 
Lebanon  to  the  sea  of  Joppa,  according  to  the  grant  that  they 
had  of  Cyrus  king  of  Persia. "  Jonah  went  down  to  Joppa 
and  took  passage  from  there  to  Tarshish,  supposed  to  be 
Tartessus  in  Spain. 

Here  Dorcas  lived  and  died,  and  hither  came  St.  Peter  in 
response  to  a  sudden  summons,  and,  when  he  saw  the  dead 
woman,  "raised  her  to  life."  It  was  here  that  Peter  tarried 
for  many  days  with  Simon  the  tanner,  where  was  wrought  the 


ENTERING  THE  HOLY  LAND.  343 

miracle  which  taught  Peter  that  his  old  exclusiveness  was  to  be 
a  thing  of  the  past.  From  1654  the  site  of  the  Latin  convent 
is  said  to  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  house  of  Simon  the  tanner. 
The  Arabs  claim  to  have  the  true  site  beneath  a  mosque  in  a 
lighthouse.  So  careful  an  authority  as  Dean  Stanley  thinks 
that  the  present  house  of  Simon  the  tanner  shown  to  visitors,  is 
upon  the  spot.  He  says:  "  One  of  the  few  localities  which  can 
claim  to  represent  the  historical  scene  of  the  New  Testament 
is  the  site  of  the  house  of  Simon  the  tanner  at  Joppa. "  The 
building  is  close  to  the  sea;  the  waves  beat  against  its  court- 
yard wall;  a  tradition  exists  of  its  having  been  for  a  long  time 
used  as  a  tannery;  in  the  center  of  the  court  there  is  a  spring 
of  fresh  water  necessary  for  such  a  business.  We  ascended  to 
the  flat  housetop,  and  above  was  the  same  sky;  before,  the 
same  sea  and  threatening  rocks;  in  the  background,  the  hills 
of  Judea;  fishermen  could  be  seen  in  and  upon  the  water,  and 
camels,  donkeys,  sheep,  and  cattle  in  the  streets  and  suburbs. 

Wandering  along  the  shore  of  the  Mediterranean  we  saw 
countless  scallop  shells,  recalling  the  fact  that  for  ages  past 
they  were  worn  by  pilgrims  after  their  return  as  a  mark  that 
they  had  been  to  the  Holy  Land. 

An  interesting  modern  feature  is  the  Mildmay  Hospital, 
known  as  the  Jaffa  Medical  Mission  and  English  Hospital, 
founded  by  Miss  Bessie  Mangan.  She  labored  five  years  in 
London  as  a  missionary,  and  was  known  among  the  poor  as 
"Our  bright-faced  lady." 

In  December,  1877,  she  went  out  to  Jaffa  to  assist  Miss 
Arnott,  and  in  less  than  twelve  months  started  a  medical  mission 
under  a  qualified  native  Christian  doctor  trained  at  the  American 
College  at  Beirut.  She  went  to  Jaffa  at  her  own  charges, 
and  was  free  to  do  as  she  pleased.  When  the  hospital  opened 
there  were  twenty  patients,  and  the  attendance  soon  swelled 
to  one  hundred.  Jews,  Moslems,  Latins,  Greeks,  and  Maron- 
ites  listened  to  her  words  and  received  with  love  her  womanly 
and  Christly  ministrations.  "She  never  spoke  to  them  of 
creeds,  but  simply  of  their  sins  and  of  the  Saviour  whose  love 
had  brought  her  there,  and  bigotry  was  silent  before  the  truth 
thus  tenderly  and  winningly  displayed." 

The  Turks  opposed  the  work,  but  its  excellent  results  and 


344  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

her  persuasion  in  personal  visits  to  Constantinople  overcame 
the  opposition,  and,  when  the  hospital  was  finally  dedicated, 
Moslem  and  Jewish  officials  attended.  The  number  of  at- 
tendants at  the  Medical  Mission  amounted  to  eleven  thousand 
one  hundred  and  seventy-six  in  the  thirteen  months  preced- 
ing December  31,  1886.  During  that  time  two  hundred  and 
thirty-one  were  nursed  in  the  hospital,  and  one  hundred  and 
twenty  scholars  attended  the  Sunday  school.  The  fund  is 
collected  from  all  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom. 

Miss  Arnott's  school,  to  which  Miss  Mangan  first  went  in 
Jaffa,  is  also  a  voluntary  school,  established  in  1863.  It  has 
met  with  success,  and  sustains  a  school  of  fifty  day  pupils. 

The  immense  size  of  the  fruits  and  vegetables  for  sale  in  the 
market  reminds  one  of  California.  We  were  there  when  the 
orange  gardens  were  beginning  to  blossom,  and  the  lemon,  apri- 
cot, apple,  quince,  and  plum  trees  were  in  bloom.  Gardens 
and  orchards  are  all  about  the  city.  The  oranges  are  the  best  I 
have  ever  seen;  they  hang  on  the  trees  a  great  while,  and  are 
sold  at  the  rate  of  ten  for  a  Turkish  piaster — about  a  cent  each 
of  our  money.  The  people  were  obviously  of  a  different  type 
from  those  in  other  oriental  lands. 

In  whatever  part  of  the  world  one  comes  upon  the  track  of 
Napoleon  he  is  sure  to  meet  some  authentic  history  or  prob- 
able tradition  which  exhibits  him  despotizing,  and  hesitating 
at  no  act  of  force,  fraud,  ingratitude,  or  cruelty  necessary  to 
accomplish  his  purposes;  but  everywhere  displaying  transcend- 
ent genius  and  overwhelming  energy.  In  1799  he  stormed 
Jaffa,  then  surrounded  with  walls.  A  plague  broke  out  among 
his  soldiers,  and  the  story  is  that  he  ordered  them  poi- 
soned. One  critic  says  that  in  this  credulous  land  of  tra- 
ditions it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  even  so  recent  a 
circumstance.  On  the  other  hand  Dr.  Thomson,  who  resided 
in  Jaffa  as  long  ago  as  1834,  appears  to  believe  it,  and  he  had 
the  opportunity  of  conversing  with  Mr.  R.  Anutun  Murad, 
United  States  consul,  whose  father  had  been  a  resident  of  the 
country,  and  must  have  had  knowledge  of  the  facts. 


IN  THE  WAY  GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM."          345 


CHAPTER   XLIV. 
"  In  the  Way  Going  Up  to  Jerusalem." 

The  Road  to  Jerusalem — Plain  of  Sharon — Flowers — Road  to  Lydda — Tower 
of  Ramleh — Gezer — Valley  of  Ajalon  (Yalo) — Latrun — Amwas — Abou- 
Gosch — Mizpah — Jerusalem  ! 

JAFFA  is  more  than  thirty  miles  northwest  from  Jerusalem; 
but  the  direct  road  is  excellent  for  pedestrians,  horsemen,  or 
carriages.  There  are  but  two  or  three  roads  in  all  Palestine 
passable  for  four-wheeled  vehicles,  but  this  has  been  made  in 
the  French  style,  and  displays  fine  engineering.  We  had 
bargained  for  a  "carriage,"  and,  when  it  appeared,  saw  a 
wagon  of  the  roughest  sort,  as  inconvenient  and  unpleasant 
as  one  would  be  likely  to  find  on  four  wheels  in  any  part  of 
the  world. 

The  orange  and  other  orchards,  through  which  the  road 
winds  at  first,  are  surrounded  by  high  cactus  hedges,  which 
are  almost  impenetrable.  Here  and  there  were  fountains,  and 
the  road  was  frequently  shaded  by  cypress  and  sycamore 
trees.  In  less  than  an  hour  we  entered  the  plain  of  Sharon, 
which  extends  along  the  seacoast  from  Jaffa  to  Csesarea,  and 
is  an  expanse  of  sand  covered  in  varying  thickness  with  soil, 
beneath  which  is  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  water.  The  soil 
produces  abundant  crops,  springing  up  almost  by  magic  after 
rains,  or  whenever  artificially  watered.  The  water  wheels, 
unlike  those  we  had  seen  in  Egypt,  give  a  picturesque  aspect 
to  the  landscape.  The  supply  is  so  accessible  "that  the  entire 
plain  seems  to  cover  a  river  filtering  through  the  sand  on  its 
way  to  sea. 

Watchtowers  are  frequent,  and  break  the  monotony.  In 
the  open  country  there  are  neither  fences  nor  hedges, 
boundary  lines  being  marked  by  stones  as  they  were  in  Old 
Testament  times.  A  farm  used  for  the  instruction  of  Jewish 
young  men  in  agriculture  was  pointed  out  to  us  on  the  right. 
A  fountain  surrounded  by  sycamores  and  cypresses  is  said  to 


346  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

be  on  the  site  of  the  tomb  of  Dorcas.  Spurious  guides  will 
say  that  "it  is  the  tomb  of  Dorcas,"  or  "the  place  where  she 
was  raised  to  life,"  whichever  will  please  the  traveler  more. 
The  plain  itself  was  beautiful,  for  the  recent  rains  had  given 
life  to  every  spear  of  grass,  and  myriads  of  flowers  of  the 
brightest  yellow,  the  richest  red,  the  softest  blue,  were  bloom- 
ing on  every  side. 

As  they  passed  we  noted  travelers  of  different  nationalities. 
Here  were  two  or  three  Jews  going  to  Jerusalem,  and  a 
few  minutes  afterward  we  met  Latin  monks;  then  Moslems. 
This  is  the  ancient  thoroughfare  from  the  sea  to  Jerusalem ! 
Over  this  road  filed  the  long  processions  carrying  materials 
for  the  temple!  Kings,  prophets,  apostles,  and  countless 
pilgrims  have  traversed  it!  Great  armies,  pagan,  Jewish, 
Mohammedan!  Pilgrims  and  Crusaders! 

The  general  character  of  the  plants  and  flowers  is  similar  to 
that  of  Spain  and  Algiers.  Tulips  and  anemones  were 
profuse.  The  Song  of  Solomon  says:  "I  am  the  rose  of 
Sharon,  and  the  lily  of  the  valleys."  But  we  saw  no  roses  such 
as  we  are  familiar  with  in  America,  and  though  there  are 
thousands  of  sweet-breathed,  dewy  flowers,  nowhere  did  I  find 
anything  that  would  have  suggested  to  me  Bishop  Heber's 

simile: 

"  How  sweet  the  breath,  beneath  the  hill, 
Of  Sharon's  dewy  rose! " 

Many  a  flower  has  been  supposed  to  be  the  one  meant  by 
Solomon — the  narcissus,  the  meadow  saffron,  and  certain  spe- 
cies of  lily.  Thomson  testifies  that  he  has  seen  thousands 
of  Solomon's  roses  on  Sharon,  but  that  they  are  a  species  of 
the  marshmallow,  and  says  before  we  protest  against  degrad- 
ing the  poetic  rose  to  the  marshmallow:  "Let  me  tell  you 
that  certain  kinds  of  mallows  grow  into  the  stout  bush  and 
bear  thousands  of  beautiful  flowers." 

There  is,  however,  no  dispute  about  the  identity  of  the  plain  of 
Sharon,  and  it  was  sufficient  for  us  to  see  it  covered  with  the 
most  brilliant  and  beautiful  flowers.  Those  who  go  there  in 
the  autumn  see  only  a  barren  wilderness. 

The  Mohammedan  villages  and  the  olive  plantations  inter- 
ested us,  but  not  so  much  as  the  traces  of  the  primitive  in- 


"IN  THE  WAY  GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM."          347 

habitants  of  the  country.  After  traveling  an  hour  and  a  half 
over  the  road  to  Lydda  we  turned  to  the  left,  when  the  town 
became  plainly  visible.  It  was  there  that  Peter  healed  the 
paralytic  Eneas  when  he  was  "passing  through  all  quarters, 
and  came  down  also  to  the  saints  which  dwelt  at  Lydda." 
There,  in  445  A.  D.,  an  ecclesiastical  council  was  held  for  the 
trial  of  Pelagius  on  a  charge  of  heresy. 

We  scanned  the  horizon  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  celebrated 
Tower  of  Ramleh,  and  at  last  saw  it.  The  Arabians  say  that 
the  town  of  Ramleh  was  founded  in  the  year  716.  Formerly 
it  had  walls  with  twelve  gates— four  large,  the  others  smaller. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  this  place  is  in  what  was  called  Ari- 
mathea  in  the  New  Testament.  Professor  Robinson  examines 
the  statement  with  his  usual  fairness  and  thoroughness,  and 
comes  to  the  conclusion  that  it  has  no  foundation.  Thomson, 
on  the  other  hand,  says:  "I  am  unable  to  decide  the  ques- 
tion." 

The  Tower  of  Ramleh  is  undoubtedly  of  Mohammedan 
origin;  and  walking  through  olive  plantations  and  between 
cactus  hedges  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  then  through  an  old 
cemetery,  we  found  it  to  be  part  of  an  ancient  mosque.  The 
outer  walls,  about  six  hundred  feet  in  circumference,  can  be 
traced;  also  the  rooms  in  the  recess,  the  gateways,  and  the 
fountains.  The  tower  is  about  one  hundred  feet  high,  and  is 
ascended  by  one  hundred  and  twenty  much-worn  steps.  From 
the  summit  one  sees  the  entire  plain  of  Sharon,  with  the 
mountains  of  Judea,  Samaria,  and  the  whole  land  from  Mount 
Carmel,  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  all  the  way  to 
the  mountains  of  Samaria.  The  Mediterranean  is  visible, 
many  miles  away.  Lydda,  several  miles  distant,  seems  but  a 
few  hundred  feet.  Along  the  mountain  sides  villages  glistened 
in  the  sunlight.  Ashdod,  Askalon,  and  Gath  could  be  identi- 
fied. 

Beneath  the  tower  are  ancient  vaults,  and  the  Mohammed- 
ans represent  that  they  contain  the  bodies  of  forty  of  the 
prophets.  The  Christian  version  is  that  they  contain  the 
bodies  of  forty  Christian  martyrs. 

The  route  to  Jerusalem  from  Ramleh  was  still  to  the  south- 
east. We  spent  a  little  time  in  the  village,  but  saw  nothing 
19 


348  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

remarkable  there  except  three  monasteries,  Latin,  Greek,  and 
Russian.  The  Russian  National  Church,  since  the  time  of 
Peter  the  Great,  has  not  been  in  communion  with  the  ortho- 
dox Greek  Church.  The  Latin  monastery  in  Ramleh  is  under 
the  management  of  the  Franciscan  monks.  Pilgrims  were 
standing  about  who  were  remaining  here  over  night  in  their 
journey  between  Jaffa  and  Jerusalem.  The  palm  trees  were 
insignificant  compared  with  those  in  Egypt.  In  the  valley  is 
a  cemetery  for  the  common  people;  on  the  hills  are  the  tombs 
of  Mohammedan  saints.  They  were  shrines  of  devotion  as 
well  as  burial  places,  and  pious  Mohammedans  could  be  seen 
paying  their  vows. 

Not  far  from  Ramleh  a  belated  farmer  favored  us  with  an 
exhibition  of  the  old-fashioned  Scripture  plow.  There  were 
the  poles,  one  attached  to  the  yoke  to  pull  with,  one  end  of 
the  other  held  by  the  driver,  the  other  end  serving  as  a  plow- 
share. The  process  is  a  scratching  rather  than  an  upturning  of 
the  soil.  A  well-informed  man  told  us  that  it  is  really  better  for 
many  parts  of  the  country  than  an  American  plow  would  be. 

The  identification  of  Gezer,  the  ruins  of  which  are  visible 
from  the  road,  is  a  fact  of  importance  to  Bible  students. 
There  the  Canaanites  were  so  strong  that  Ephraim,  of  whose 
lot  this  was  the  frontier,  in  the  time  of  the  Judges,  could  not 
drive  them  out;  but  "the  Canaanites  dwelt  in  Gezer."  i  Kings 
ix  gives  a  full  account  of  the  ruins  and  traces  of  the  city 
boundaries;  for  a  number  of  questions  have  been  settled,  and 
clear  evidences  found  of  a  city  built  after  the  plan  in  Num- 
bers xxxv. 

From  the  summit  of  a  hill  we  looked  forward  to  the  valley  of 
Ajalon,  now  known  as  Yalo.  When  we  crossed  it  we  passed 
over  the  spot  where  Joshua  conquered  the  Amorites,  and,  ac- 
cording to  the  tenth  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Joshua,  the 
miracle  occurred  when  he  exclaimed,  "Sun,  stand  thou  still 
upon  Gibeon;  and  thou,  Moon,  in  the  valley  of  Ajalon." 
How  many  disputes  have  been  held  as  to  whether  that  ever 
occurred!  "It  is  not  the  sun  that  moves,  but  the  earth," 
says  one.  "Neither  the  earth  nor  the  sun  could  be  stopped 
without  disarranging  the  whole  solar  system,"  says  another. 
The  third  exclaims,  "  How  absurd  to  suppose  that  for  an  in- 


"IN  THE  WAY  GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM."          349 

significant  battle  the  heavens  would  be  disturbed."  "  Joshua 
was  not  inspired,  or  he  would  have  known  better  than  to  com- 
mand the  sun  and  the  moon  to  stand  still;  he  would  have  used 
scientific  language." 

Nautical  almanacs,  scientifically  constructed  at  the  present 
day,  use  the  ancient  phrase,  "  Sun  rises  and  sets." 

The  history  details  miraculous  or  natural  events.  If  the 
former,  it  is  as  easy  to  believe  that  God  prolonged  the  light 
as  to  believe  anything  else  told  in  the  book. 

The  five  kings  fled  over  the  hills  and  hid  in  a  cave,  and  the 
route  they  must  have  taken  was  plainly  before  our  eyes. 

Refreshing  springs  were  frequent,  and  as  a  rural  scene  the 
country  was  charming.  But  after  a  time  long  mountain 
ranges  appeared,  and  slowly  we  toiled  up  the  slopes  of  the  first 
mountain  of  Judea.  The  road  here  rose  and  fell,  making  a 
figure  of  the  letter  S  on  the  side  of  every  high  hill.  Villages 
of  historic  interest  occupied  our  attention,  but  only  the  more 
important  can  be  mentioned.  We  had  farewell  glimpses  of  the 
plain  of  Sharon,  whose  green  turned  to  blue  in  the  distance, 
and  came  to  the  village  of  Latrun,  the  meaning  of  which  is 
robber.  One  of  its  legends  is  that  the  penitent  thief,  spoken 
of  in  these  myths  as  Dimas  or  Dismas,  was  born  there.  A 
later  tradition  is  that  when  Joseph  and  Mary  went  down  to 
Egypt  with  the  infant  Christ  they  passed  through  that  place, 
and  Dismas  and  the  other  thief  attacked  them,  and  that  the 
one  who  became  penitent  subsequently  protected  the  Son  of 
Mary  from  the  violence  of  the  other,  and  that  on  the  cross, 
when  he  threw  himself  on  the  mercy  of  Christ,  this  was  remem- 
bered to  his  advantage.  This  is  nonsense  throughout,  for  St. 
Luke  says  that  this  thief  at  first  participated  with  -the  other  in 
railing  at  Christ  on  the  cross. 

Two  hours'  journey  farther  there  is  a  place  called  Amwas,  be- 
lieved from  the  third  to  the  thirteenth  century  to  be  the  Emmaus 
mentioned  in  Luke;  but  that  is  now  held  to  be  impossible  on 
account  of  its  not  corresponding  with  the  distance.  Most  ob- 
jects in  this  region  bear  names  derived  from  Bible  characters, 
often  without  reason.  We  passed  Job's  well,  and  not  far  from 
it  Job's  monastery. 

Now  the  road  became   steep;    the   horses  panted  as  they 


350  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

dragged  the  wagon  up  the  narrow  defile.  We  were  surrounded 
by  hills,  some  overgrown  with  stunted  trees,  others  as  de- 
void of  vegetation  as  the  hills  of  Norway  north  of  the  arctic 
circle.  Where  there  was  anything  for  them  to  eat,  herds  of 
goats  and  flocks  of  sheep  were  feeding  under  the  care  of  shep- 
herds. On  reaching  the  summit  we  could  discern  the  sea  and 
the  coast  as  far  back  as  Jaffa,  including  Ramleh  and  the 
plain  of  Sharon.  Along  the  road  were  olive  trees,  and  among 
them  the  carob,  supposed  to  be  the  tree  which  produced  the 
beans,  the  husks  of  which  were  the  food  mentioned  in  the 
parable  of  the  prodigal  son. 

The  village  of  Abou-Gosch  dates  back  to  1813.  A  Sheik  of 
that  name,  having  six  brothers  and  eighty-five  descendants, 
ruled  the  whole  region  despotically,  and  sallied  forth,  like  the 
old  robbers  on  the  Rhine,  upon  passing  pilgrims.  During  the 
Egyptian  supremacy  they  were  suppressed;  but,  like  the 
descendants  of  the  Algerine  pirates,  they  retain  their  wealth. 
Abou-Gosch  is  buried  there  in  a  large  mosque.  The  region  has 
been  identified,  by  Professor  Edward  Robinson,  with  Kirjath- 
jearim,  scholars  generally  accepting  the  conclusion.  Hence 
men  went  to  receive  the  ark  of  the  Lord  when  the  terrified 
Philistines  brought  it  back;  and  they  placed  it  in  the  house  of 
Abinadab.  When  David  had  fixed  his  capital  at  Jerusalem,  he 
went  to  Kirjath-jearim  to  bring  the  ark  to  Jerusalem,  but  vio- 
lated the  law;  bringing  upon  Uzzah,  who  attempted  to  steady 
the  ark,  the  punishment  described  in  the  Book  of  Numbers. 
After  it  had  remained  at  the  house  of  Obed-edom  three 
months,  it  was  carried  to  Jerusalem  by  the  Levites,  according 
to  the  law. 

In  about  an  hour  we  reached  a  summit  from  which  we  could 
see  Neby  Samwil,  where  most  traditions  unite  in  saying  that 
the  prophet  Samuel  was  buried.  It  was  Mizpah,  the  city  of 
Benjamin.  Here  on  this  solitary  mountain  peak,  six  hundred 
feet  above  the  plain  of  Gibeon,  and  three  thousand  above  the 
sea  level,  during  the  time  of  the  Judges,  were  held  the 
national  assemblies  of  the  tribes  of  Israel.  Here  the  Crusad- 
ers built  a  church.  In  the  valley  of  Kolonieh  is  a  village,  sur- 
rounded by  olive  and  fig  orchards,  held  to  have  been  the  birth- 
place of  John  the  Baptist.  This  is  based  on  the  fact  that  his 


"IN  THE  WAY  GOING  UP  TO  JERUSALEM."          351 

father  was  a  priest,  and  would  therefore  live  near  Jerusalem, 

and  that,  in  Luke  i,  39,  he  is  said  to  live  in  "the  hill  country, 

a   city    of    Juda."     Kolonieh,   a    charming    village,    is 


Mizpah. 

another  of  the  numerous  competitors  for  the  site  of  Emmaus, 
but  cannot  be  harmonized  with  the  statement  of  Luke  that  the 
place  was  threescore  furlongs  from  Jerusalem. 

From  this  point  it  is  a  steady  climb  of  four  and  a  half  miles 
to  Jerusalem.  Higher  and  higher,  rougher  and  rougher  grew 
the  road,  and  slower  the  pace  of  the  horses,  till  it  seemed,  in 
the  darkness  of  the  evening,  as  though  we  should  never  reach 
our  journey's  end. 

When  we  saw  the  lights  in  the  suburbs  of  Jerusalem  it  was 
a  moment  of  delight,  of  solemnity,  and  of  sublimity.  For  of 
it  the  greatest  of  the  kings  of  Israel  said:  "If  I  forget  thee, 
O  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  forget  her  cunning."  To  it 
the  Son  of  God  said:  "O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  .  .  .  how 
often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a 
hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would 
not!"  And  it  became  a  type  of  heaven,  for  Paul  said: 
"Jerusalem  which  is  above  is  free,  which  is  the  mother  of  us 
all;"  and  John  saw  in  the  spirit  "that  great  city,  the  holy 
Jerusalem,  descending  out  of  heaven  from  God."  And  I  stood 
at  the  gate  of  JERUSALEM! 


352  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER   XLV. 
Jerusalem. 

Situation — H  istory — Population. 

THE  situation  of  Jerusalem  made  its  history,  the  two  being 
so  inseparably  connected  that  one  cannot  be  understood  or 
interpreted  without  the  knowledge  of  the  other.  The  dimen- 
sions of  this  city  varied  greatly  in  different  ages;  but  its  nucleus 
remained  unchanged,  and  that  central  area  stands  forth  un- 
questioned as  the  rock  to  which  every  reasonable  hypothesis 
must  be  fastened,  and  to  which  every  explorer  must  return 
for  a  new  start.  Our  hotel  was  just  outside  the  Jaffa  Gate,  and 
from  that  point,  after  a  short  excursion  within  the  walls,  we 
ascended  the  neighboring  hills  in  order  to  observe  the  situ- 
ation of  the  Holy  City. 

Far  up  on  lofty  hills,  separated  on  the  west  and  south  from 
the  surrounding  territory  by  deep  ravines  and  rugged  valleys, 
its  foundation  being  a  vast  plateau  of  limestone,  on  the  north 
attached  to  the  mountains  of  Palestine,  Jerusalem  presents, 
"beyond  any  important  city  that  has  ever  existed  on  the 
earth,  the  aspect  of  a  mountain  city." 

This  situation  explains  most  of  the  references  in  the  Bible: 
"As  the  mountains  are  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  the  Lord  is 
round  about  his  people." 

When  the  chosen  people  conquered  Palestine  the  Jebusites 
were  settled  in  this  region.  Their  capital  was  Jebus,  and  there 
their  king  lived.  Within  its  walls  they  retired  when  pursuit 
became  hot.  The  triumphant  list  given  by  Joshua  of  the 
kings  he  conquered  and  of  the  territories  which  he  occupied 
is  brought  to  a  humiliating  close  by  the  confession:  "As  for 
the  Jebusites  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  the  children  of 
Judah  could  not  drive  them  out." 

As  it  was  at  that  date  it  remained,  threatening  the  children 
of  Israel  and  defying  their  power,  until  four  hundred  years 
after  Joshua;  then  David  determined  to  take  away  the  re- 


JERUSALEM.  355 

proach,  and  punish  the  people  for  their  past  misconduct. 
Flushed  with  previous  victories  he  approached  their  city,  and 
fancying  themselves  secure  in  their  impregnable  fortress,  they 
taunted  him,  satirically  suggesting  that  the  blind  and  the 
lame  could  keep  his  army  out.  To  stir  the  people  to  deeds  of 
heroism  David  said:  "Whosoever  getteth  up  to  the  gutter, 
and  smiteth  the  Jebusites,  .  .  .  he  shall  be  chief  and  captain." 
It  was  this  which  gave  Joab,  the  son  of  Zeruiah,  "the  opportu- 
nity of  his  life,"  and  "David  took  the  castle  of  Zion  "  and 
"dwelt  in  the  castle;  therefore  they  called  it  The  city  of 
David." 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  Jerusalem  was  not  the  capital  of 
the  country  from  the  beginning,  as  was  the  case  with  Rome, 
Athens,  and  Thebes,  but  the  nation  was  four  hundred  years 
old  before  its  permanent  capital,  which  had  been  at  different 
times  Hebron,  Bethel,  and  Shechem,  was  established. 

Its  capture  by  the  Arabians  and  Chaldeans  is  described  in 
the  Bible. 

When  Alexander  the  Great  appeared  before  Jerusalem  it 
surrendered.  The  Ptolemys  took  possession  of  it  in  the  year 
320  B.  C.  Afterward  came  the  long  struggles,  triumphs,  and 
defeats  of  the  Maccabees. 

Such  were  the  internal  troubles  of  that  region  so  remote 
from  Rome  that  the  Parthians  took  possession  of  the  city,  but 
in  the  time  of  Herod  it  was  recaptured;  then  followed  the 
brief  period  included  in  the  life  of  Christ.  The  disturbances 
after  his  crucifixion  between  the  fanatics,  led  by  Eleazar,  and 
the  conservatives,  resulted  in  a  temporary  triumph  over  the 
Romans,  which  so  intoxicated  the  Jews  as  to  lead  them  to 
attempt  to  achieve  independence  of  Rome.  Then  the  empire 
awoke  and  sent  Vespasian  with  sixty  thousand  men,  who  sub- 
dued the  country;  delaying,  however,  .his  advance  against 
Jerusalem,  he  finally  returned  to  Rome,  leaving  the  victory 
to  be  completed  by  his  son  Titus. 

That  famous  siege  is  an  important  part  of  Roman  history. 
Having  seen  the  Triumphal  Arch  of  Titus  in  Rome,  I  viewed 
with  peculiar  interest  the  scenes  of  his  exploits.  The  forces 
of  Titus  were  massed  on  the  west  and  northwest,  while  one 
legion  of  six  thousand  was  on  the  Mount  of  Olives.  The  siege 


356  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

began  about  the  first  of  April,  A.  D.  70.  The  action  was  inter- 
mittent, but  about  the  twenty-third  of  the  month  the  engines 
were  brought  up  to  near  the  very  spot  occupied  by  our  hotel. 
Famine  within  and  destructive  operations  without  reduced 
the  Jews  to  a  terrible  condition;  but  their  courage  did  not 
fail.  Not  till  the  fifth  of  July  was  the  castle  stormed,  and  on 
the  tenth  of  August  the  temple  was  fired.  This  is  said  to  have 
been  contrary  to  the  orders  of  Titus.  By  the  seventh  of 
September  the  whole  city  was  a  mass  of  ruins,  and  was  prac- 
tically extinct  for  fifty  years. 

It  was  then  rebuilt  by  Hadrian,  passed  through  various 
vicissitudes  in  connection  with  the  pagan  and  Christian  history 
of  Rome,  was  conquered  by  the  Persians  in  614,  and  in  637 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans,  who  held  it  for  four 
hundred  years.  Then  came  the  Crusaders,  who  maintained 
their  po\ver  for  eighty-eight  years,  when  Saladin  wrested  it 
from  them,  and  strongly  fortified  it.  Forty-two  years  later 
the  Christians  again  conquered  it,  but  since  the  middle  of  the 
thirteenth  century  it  has  been  under  the  sway  of  the  Moham- 
medans. 

One  purpose  of  this  sketch  is  to  remove  from  the  mind  of 
the  reader  the  idea  that  the  Jerusalem  of  which  the  Bible 
speaks  is  to  be  seen  by  the  traveler.  It  is  not  there.  None 
can  be  sure  that  there  is  standing  on  the  site  of  Jerusalem  a 
single  building  or  tower  upon  which  Christ  or  any  of  his 
apostles  looked. 

Jerusalem  was  founded  on  four  hills.  In  ancient  times 
these  were  separated  by  very  deep  valleys,  but  the  rubbish  of 
the  successive  destructions  of  the  city,  more  than  sixteen  in 
number,  has  filled  the  valleys  so  that  the  hills  seem  much 
lower  than  formerly;  but  Zion  still  towers  more  than  three 
hundred  feet  above  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  and  more  than  five 
hundred  feet  above  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  The  valley  of 
Tyropoeon,  or  of  the  Cheesemakers,  separates  Zion  from  Akra 
and  Moriah. 

Jerusalem  was  "compact  together,"  for  it  was  impossible 
to  build  across  the  deep  valleys  that  surround  it  on  every 
side  except  the  northwest. 

In  the  days  of  Herod  the  city  had  sixty  towers,  and  a  reason- 


JERUSALEM.  357 

able  estimate  assumes  a  large  ordinary  population,  which  in 
festival  times  was  increased  to  millions.  Formerly  I  doubted 
the  estimates  given  by  Josephus  of  the  number  of  persons 
present  at  the  festivals;  but  on  visiting  the  great  fair  at  Nijni 
Novgorod,  and  finding  about  two  hundred  thousand  persons 
quartered  in  a  town  that  ordinarily  had  a  population  of  less 
than  twenty  thousand,  and  ascertaining  that  they  had  a  sys- 
tem of  computing  the  population  by  requiring  the  bakers  to 
give  an  account  of  the  number  of  loaves  of  bread  sold  each 
day,  it  having  been  discovered  that  a  correct  estimate  could 
be  made  in  this  way,  I  could  see  how  the  paschal  lambs  sold 
might  show  with  tolerable  accuracy  how  many  persons  were 
present. 

One  thing  was  clear  to  me:  there  was  no  impediment  in  the 
way  of  the  extension  of  the  city  to  the  north;  and  if  it  were 
said  that  the  city  once  had  a  population  as  large  as  Vienna  or 
Paris,  or  even  London,  no  presumption  could  be  drawn 
against  it  from  the  fact  of  the  configuration  of  the  eastern  and 
southern  boundaries,  while  the  north  admitted  of  indefinite 
expansion.  To  this  day  all  over  the  ground  for  miles  lie 
numerous  ruins  and  cisterns. 


358  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 
Outside  the  Walls  of  Jerusalem. 

The  Valleys  of  Gihon  and  Hinnom — Pool  of  Siloam — Fountain  of  the  Vir- 
gin— Valley  of  the  Kidron — Garden  of  Gethsemane — Tomb  of  the  Virgin 
—  Mount  of  Olives — View  from  the  Summit — Tombs  of  the  Kings — Tomb 
and  Grotto  of  Jeremiah — Walls  and  Gates  of  the  City. 

RISING  early,  the  morning  after  our  arrival,  we  made  a  short 
excursion  into  the  city,  securing  an  accomplished  guide  and 
taking  our  bearings  so  as  to  be  able  to  make  estimates  of  the 
relative  importance  of  various  parts  of  the  city  to  our  primary 
purpose.  I  had  resolved  to  comprehend  fully  Jerusalem  as  it 
is;  to  see  it  from  every  point  of  view  and  in  every  mood  of 
which  I  am  capable;  to  be,  while  there,  the  amateur  explorer, 
the  enthusiastic  historian,  the  devoted  antiquarian,  the  ardent 
believer,  the  cautious  skeptic,  the  son  of  Abraham,  the  Gentile, 
the  Mohammedan,  without  forgetting  that  I  am  a  Christian 
and  an  American  :  for  after  reading  uncounted  books  on 
travels  in  the  Holy  Land,  and  listening  to  many  lectures  upon 
Jerusalem,  I  had  never  been  able  to  obtain  a  clear  under- 
standing of  it,  either  as  it  was  or  as  it  is. 

To  the  effort  I  was  the  more  moved  by  meeting  on  'our 
arrival  a  gentleman  who  had  sailed  from  Port  Said  with  us, 
and  had  reached  Jerusalem  twenty-four  hours  before.  He 
was  disgusted  with  the  city  and  exclaimed:  ''There  is  nothing 
to  see;  it  is  the  most  abominable  place  I  have  ever  seen;  I 
shall  not  stay  another  night."  To  this  resolution  he  adhered. 
He  was  a  professional  man,  yet,  being  unacquainted  with  the 
Bible,  and  not  familiar  with  the  history  of  the  country,  he 
could  see  only  what  he  brought  with  him — practically  nothing. 

Starting  from  our  hotel,  we  descended  into  the  valley  of 
Gihon,  where  Solomon  was  crowned  king,  and  walked  along  it 
until  we  came  to  the  wall,  on  which  was  an  old  aqueduct  that 
formerly  conveyed  water  from  the  Pools  of  Solomon  to  the 
temple.  The  Pool  of  Gihon  remains,  five  hundred  and  ten  feet 


OUTSIDE  THE  WALLS  OF  JERUSALEM.  361 

long,  two  hundred  and  ten  wide,  and  apparently  forty  deep. 
This  pool  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  Pools  of  Solomon, 
which  are  more  than  two  hours'  ride  from  the  city. 

When  the  valley  of  Gihon  turns  eastward  it  becomes  the 
awful  Hinnom,  which  was  a  part  of  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween Judah  and  Benjamin.  This  is  the  most  infamous  de- 
pression in  the  world.  When  Solomon  became  an  idolater,  it 
was  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  which  forms  one  of  the  sides  of 
this  valley  that  he  built  places  of  sacrifice  to  false  gods. 
Joshua  determined  to  make  the  ravine  a  cesspool;  all  the 
offal  of  the  city  was  poured  into  it,  and  there  a  fire  burned  con- 
stantly, whence  came  the  name  Gehenna.  It  was  a  hell  ever 
before  the  people,  whose  smoke  ascended  day  and  night. 
Here  no  traveler  would  have  difficulty  in  perceiving  whence 
the  Hebrew  prophets  obtained  many  of  their  terrible  figures. 
Let  him  descend,  as  we  did,  into  the  depths  of  the  valley  of  Ge- 
henna, clamber  along  its  sides,  view  them  from  the  opposite 
point;  let  the  eye  take  in  the  tombs,  the  crooked  fig  and  olive 
trees  growing  among  the  crags,  the  wall  on  the  summit;  let 
him  gaze  into  the  various  caverns,  crevices,  and  excavations. 
Some  locate  within  this  chasm  the  Field  of  Blood,  purchased 
with  the  money  that  Judas  received  for  betraying  Christ. 
Others  have  concocted  the  myth,  that  when  the  disciples  all 
forsook  him  and  fled,  they  came  and  hid  themselves  in  a  cer- 
tain tomb  called  the  Apostles'  Cavern.  One  cave,  peculiarly 
fitted  to  tragedy  and  the  concealment  of  treasure  or  hunted, 
terrified  human  being,  is  now  used  as  a  stable.  Here  were 
buried  the  pilgrims  of  the  Middle  Ages  who  died  in  Jerusalem. 

As  we  left  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  we  came  to  the  rill 
described  by  Bishop  Heber  as  "cool  Siloam's  shady  rill," 
and  by  Milton  as  "  Siloa's  brook,  that  flowed  fast  by  the  oracle  of 
God,"  and  by  Isaiah  as  "the  waters  of  Shiloah  that  go  softly." 
We  followed  the  stream  to  the  Pool  of  Siloam,  fifty-three  feet 
long,  eighteen  broad,  and  nineteen  deep.  It  is  never  full,  the 
stream  that  flows  into  it  from  the  Virgin's  Fountain  flowing 
directly  through  it,  water  being  retained  to  the  depth  of  two 
or  three  feet. 

Thither  Jesus  sent  the  blind  man,  saying  to  him :  "Go,  wash 
in  the  Pool  of  Siloam." 


362  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  Fountain  of  the  Virgin  is  artificial,  and  when  we  were 
there  the  women  of  Siloam  were  carrying  water  from  it  in 
stone  jars.  We  descended  the  sixteen  steps,  walked  four  yards 
to  the  second  flight  of  thirteen,  which  conducted  us  to  the 
water.  The  basin  is  about  eleven  feet  square.  All  these  hills 
are  penetrated  by  ancient  aqueducts  and  passages.  Professor 
Robinson  crept  from  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin  through  an 
aqueduct  to  the  Pool  of  Siloam;  others  have  done  so  since;  but 
after  going  a  few  feet,  we  concluded  to  accept  their  report. 

The  valley  of  Kidron  has  had  many  names.  The  word 
means  the  "  black  brook. "  In  the  time  of  our  Lord  it  was 
called  the  winter  brook,  and  by  the  Jews  considered  unclean. 
It  is  now  spoken  of  as  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  According 
to  tradition  there  was  a  prophecy  that  this  is  to  be  the  scene 
of  the  last  judgment.  The  Mohammedans,  believing  this, 
bury  their  dead  on  the  east  side  of  the  Haram,  and  the  Jews 
inter  theirs  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mount  of  Olives.  At  the 
resurrection  the  slopes  of  the  valley  are  expected  to  move 
farther  apart,  in  order  to  make  room  for  the  great  assembly. 
The  Mohammedan  notion  is  that  a  thin  wire  rope  will  be 
stretched  across  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  Christ  and  Mohammed 
sitting  on  the  opposite  mounts  as  judges.  There  will  be  two 
blasts  blown  by  the  Angel  Gabriel;  the  first  will  kill  every 
living  being,  and  the  second  will  awake  the  dead.  Every 
human  being  must  pass  over  the  rope;  the  angels  will  keep 
the  righteous  steady,  and  they  will  move  with  lightning  speed; 
but  the  wicked  will  fall  into  hell. 

As  we  passed  through  this  valley  we  came  to  the  alleged 
tombs  of  Zechariah,  St.  James,  and  Absalom.  Absalom's 
is  large  and  square,  and  has  several  fine  columns;  that  of 
St.  James  is  cut  out  of  the  rock,  and  has  two  Doric  columns 
with  several  other  ornaments.  It  is  wholly  uncertain  whether 
there  is  any  truth  in  the  claim,  and  there  is  nothing  remark- 
able about  the  tombs. 

The  generally  accepted  site  of  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane 
includes  about  a  third  of  an  acre,  surrounded  by  a  thick  hedge 
with  a  wall.  The  Franciscan  monks  control  it,  but  though  the 
gate  is  kept  locked  there  is  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  permis- 
sion to  enter.  Seven  or  eight  olive  trees,  about  nineteen  feet 


The  Brook  Kidron. 


OUTSIDE  THE  WALLS  OF  JERUSALEM.  365 

in  circumference,  grow  there,  and  it  is  quite  possible  that 
they  sprung  from  the  roots  of  those  that  were  standing  in 
the  time  of  the  apostles;  besides  these  there  are  several 
beautiful  young  olive  trees,  and  the  monks  cultivate  flowers, 
which  give  the  garden  a  pleasant  look.  On  the  inner  walls 
is  a  series  of  colored  reliefs  portraying  scenes  in  the  life 
of  Jesus,  while  inside  is  a  passage  with  fourteen  places  for 
prayer. 

The  account  in  the  New  Testament  says:  "Jesus  .  .  . 
went  forth  with  his  disciples  over  the  brook  Kidron,  where 
was  a  garden,  into  the  which  he  entered."  The  identity  of  the 
brook  being  established,  the  configuration  of  the  country 
makes  it  almost  certain  that  this  must  be  the  exact  spot,  or 
near  it.  The  tradition  agrees  so  well  with  the  Bible  narrative 
that  there  is  little  dispute. 

The  monks  attempt  to  point  out  where  important  events 
took  place.  A  rock  immediately  east  of  the  door  is  supposed 
to  mark  the  spot  where  Peter,  James,  and  John  slept  while 
our  Lord  prayed.  A  few  paces  to  the  south,  they  told  us,  is 
where  Judas  betrayed  his  Lord  with  a  kiss. 

The  olive  oil  produced  from  the  trees  brings  a  high  price, 
and  the  monks  manufacture  rosaries  from  the  olive  stones. 

The  Greek  Church  claims  that  this  is  not  the  true  site,  and 
exhibits  the  "true  "  Garden  of  Gethsemane  a  short  distance 
farther  toward  the  summit. 

We  turned  to  the  left  of  the  valley  of  the  Kidron  to  see  the 
Tomb  of  the  Virgin.  The  Greeks  claim  that  this  is  the  old- 
est Christian  church  in  the  world.  Every  morning,  from  seven 
to  eight,  a  service  is  held,  and  during  the  festivals  the  building 
is  open  to  visitors  from  morning  to  night.  Unquestionably 
there  was  a  church  here  in  the  fourth  century,  which  continued 
until  the  fifth,  but  was  destroyed  by  the  Persians;  neverthe- 
less, when  the  city  of  Jerusalem  was  captured  by  the  Moham- 
medans they  found  "another  church  of  Gethsemane."  This 
edifice  is  supposed  to  stand  over  the  tomb,  according  to  the 
general  custom  in  oriental  lands. 

With  the  exception  of  the  porch,  the  entire  building  is  under- 
ground. The  visitor  descends  by  forty-seven  marble  steps; 
when  twenty- two  have  been  passed,  the  entrance  to  a  side 


366  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

chapel  on  the  right  is  reached,  in  which  are  two  altars  and  the 
tombs  of  Joachim  and  Anna,  the  father  and  mother  of  the 
Virgin  Mary.  Another  chapel  contains  the  alleged  tomb  of 
Joseph,  the  husband  of  Mary.  The  supposed  tombs  of  her 
father  and  mother  were  in  the  Church  of  St.  Ann  until  the 
third  or  fourth  century.  The  known  antiquity  of  the  church 
inspires  reverence  even  in  those  who  doubt  whether  any  of  the 
persons  were  originally  buried  there  or  whether  any  of  their 
relics  exist. 

Sometimes  the  Mount  of  Olives  has  been  described  as  re- 
sembling one  of  the  Alps.  Other  writers,  content  with  sim- 
ply giving  its  height,  have  made  an  equally  misleading  im- 
pression. Its  highest  point  is  twenty-seven  hundred  and 
twenty-three  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea;  at  its  center  it 
is  about  ninety  feet  lower.  When  we  consider  that  the  highest 
elevation  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem  is  twenty-five  hundred  and 
fifty  feet,  and  that  the  temple  itself  is  twenty-four  hundred 
and  forty-one  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  the  central  point 
of  the  Mount  of  Olives  can  only  be  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
six  feet  higher  than  the  temple  plateau.  But  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  the  valley  of  the  Kidron,  five  hundred  feet 
deep,  exceedingly  steep,  not  more  than  a  hundred  feet  in 
greatest  width  at  the  bottom,  intervenes  between  Jerusalem 
and  the  mount.  This  produces  the  effect  of  much  loftier 
height  than  exists,  besides  requiring  a  precipitous  descent  and 
a  laborious  ascent  either  going  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  from 
Jerusalem  or  returning  to  the  city.  From  the  Tomb  of  the 
Virgin  to  the  top  of  Olivet  did  not  require  a  walk  of  more 
than  twenty  minutes. 

The  base  of  the  mountain  is  limestone,  its  surface  not  being 
very  irregular,  though  not  destitute  of  depressions.  It  was 
fresh  with  the  grass  and  flowers  of  spring.  The  olive,  fig, 
and  carob  trees  were  in  leaf,  and  there  were  a  few  pines  and 
hawthorns.  The  paths  are  stony,  and  the  climb  in  the  after- 
noon sun  was  exhausting  on  account  of  the  peculiar  quality 
of  the  heat.  Indeed,  pedestrianism  in  that  country  is  much 
more  fatiguing  than  at  the  same  temperature  in  Europe  or  the 
United  States. 

To   obtain    the  best  impression  ascents   are   necessary   at 


o 


OUTSIDE  THE  WALLS  OF  JERUSALEM.  369 

different  hours  of  the  day.  The  names  applied  to  the  mount 
are  noteworthy.  It  is  the  "  Mount  of  Olives  "  in  Zechariah;  in 
other  parts  of  the  Old  Testament,  "the  ascent  to  the  Olives," 
"the  mount  facing  Jerusalem,"  "the  mount  which  is  on  the 
east  side  of  the  city;  "  in  the  New  Testament,  the  "  Mount  of 
Olives,"  the  "mount  called  the  Mount  of  Olives,"  and  the 
"  mount  called  Olivet." 

From  the  Mount  of  Olives  Christ  began  the  triumphal  pro- 
cession when  a  great  multitude  cried,  "  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of 
David !  "  Upon  the  Mount  of  Olives  he  sat  when  his  disciples 
came  to  him  and  asked  what  should  be  the  sign  of  his  coming, 
and  of  the  end  of  the  world.  He  stood  on  the  slope  of  this 
mountain  and  wept  over  the  city;  and  it  is  generally  believed 
that  he  ascended  from  the  Mount  of  Olives,  though  the  two 
accounts  given  by  St.  Luke  of  the  ascension  do  not  seem  to 
agree  as  to  place.  Luke  (xxiv,  50,  51)  says:  "And  he  led 
them  out  as  far  as  to  Bethany,  and  he  lifted  up  his  hands, 
and  blessed  them.  And  it  came  to  pass,  while  he  blessed 
them,  he  was  parted  from  them,  and  carried  up  into  heaven." 
But  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Acts  it  is  stated  that  the 
apostles,  after  having  continued  to  gaze  up  into  heaven  for  a 
time,  and  being  addressed  by  the  angels,  returned  "unto 
Jerusalem  from  the  mount  called  Olivet,  which  is  from  Jeru- 
salem a  Sabbath  day's  journey." 

This  is  but  a  slight  discrepancy  when  we  consider  that 
Bethany  is  only  fifteen  minutes'  walk  from  the  top  of  the 
Mount  of  Olives.  It  is  not  steep  on  that  side;  it  is  in  the 
highest  degree  possible  that  the  apostles  and  our  Lord  were 
walking  as  they  conversed,  and  that  the  ascension  did  not 
take  place  in  the  village  of  Bethany,  but  in  the  suburbs  toward 
the  Mount  of  Olives.  Hence,  in  view  of  the  nature  of  the 
country,  they  would  be  spoken  of  as  returning  from  the  Mount 
of  Olives.  If  so,  Luke's  observation  in  the  gospel  may  mean 
that  Christ  led  the  apostles  out  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  by  the 
Bethany  road.  It  is  believed  that  the  entire  summit  of  the 
mountain  was,  in  Christ's  time,  covered  with  buildings.  There 
were  many  monasteries  upon  it  when  Jerusalem  was  taken  by 
the  Mohammedans.  At  present,  among  the  buildings  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  is  the  Church  of  the  Ascension,  which  is  sup- 


370  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

posed  to  mark  the  site,  there  being  near  it  a  cave  which 
tradition  declares  was  frequented  by  Jesus  for  the  purpose  of 
teaching  his  disciples  the  mysteries  of  his  doctrines. 

The  Russians  have  erected  a  tower  from  which  is  the  finest 
view.  Toward  the  east  I  saw  the  Dead  Sea.  It  appeared  near, 
but  was  many  miles  away  and  nearly  four  thousand  feet  be- 
low. Beyond  the  sea  is  a  chain  of  mountains  in  the  territory 
allotted  to  Reuben,  and  among  them,  though  not  positively 
identified,  is  Nebo.  To  the  east  and  north  are  the  moun- 
tains of  Moab  and  Gilead  and  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  the 
dark  green  of  whose  vegetation  contrasts  strongly  with  the 
barren  limestone  hills  on  every  side;  Gibeah,  where  Saul  was 
born;  Ramah,  the  birthplace  of  Samuel;  and  Mizpah,  the 
lonely  mountain  peak,  his  burial  place;  Nob,  mentioned  in  the 
Old  Testament  from  the  earliest  times;  and  the  valley  of  the 
Kidron,  extending  almost  from  Jerusalem  to  the  Dead  Sea. 

At  our  right  was  the  hill  Scopus,  over  which  Titus  led  his 
forces;  immediately  beneath,  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane  and 
the  valley  of  the  Kidron  until  its  intersection  with  that  of 
Hinnom;  and  opposite,  rising  out  of  the  sheer  abyss,  Jeru- 
salem, its  sacred  hills  easily  distinguished,  its  walls,  gates, 
minarets,  towers,  domes,  making  an  imposing  view,  the  only 
one  worthy  of  the  fame  of  the  city.  When  Lieutenant  Lynch, 
to  whom  modern  exploration  owes  so  much,  coming  from  his 
explorations  in  the  Jordan  valley,  obtained  a  glimpse  of  the 
city,  no  language  could  describe  the  impression  which  this  view 
made  upon  him.  A  noted  traveler,  who  speaks  disparagingly 
of  the  view  from  the  north,  west,  and  south — and  not  unjustly 
— declares  that  no  one  can  be  disappointed  who  first  looks 
upon  Jerusalem  from  the  east. 

Those  who  have  visited  London  know  that  it  is  impossible 
to  realize  the  grandeur  of  St.  Paul's  without  leaving  the  mass 
of  buildings  which  surround  it,  and  viewing  it  from  across  the 
Thames.  The  cathedral  at  Cologne  seems  more  imposing  a 
half  a  mile  up  the  Rhine  than  in  the  city.  So  is  it  with  a  num- 
ber of  the  finest  buildings  in  Jerusalem,  notably  the  Mosque  of 
Omar. 

Descending  from  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  proceeding 
to  the  northwest  around  the  city  walls,  the  Tombs  of  the 


OUTSIDE  THE  WALLS  OF  JERUSALEM.  373 

Kings  were  reached.  They  were  carefully  constructed,  and  are 
genuine  rock  tombs,  but  improved  externally  by  skillful  archi- 
tectural constructions.  There  is  no  evidence  that  they  existed 
prior  to  the  Roman  period,  or  that  they  ever  had  any  connec- 
tion with  Old  Testament  characters  or  times.  More  interest- 
ing are  the  Tombs  of  the  Judges,  but  everything  which  relates 
them  to  the  remote  past  is  mythical;  even  the  legends  are  of 
recent  origin. 

The  tomb  and  grotto  of  Jeremiah  consist  of  a  series  of  rock 
tombs,  cisterns,  and  other  curious  antiquities  in  the  possession 
of  the  Mohammedans,  who  maintain  a  sanctuary.  Having 
passed  through  a  yard  containing  fruit  trees,  broken  pieces  of 
columns,  and  other  ruins  suggestive  of  earthquake  and  siege, 
we  came  to  the  caverns,  which  are  more  than  a  hundred  feet 
long,  and  were  used  hundreds  of  years  ago  as  a  retreat  for 
Mohammedan  monks.  It  is  such  a  place  as  a  gloomy  prophet 
might  desire  in  which  to  meditate.  As  we  entered  what  is 
called  the  Tomb  of  Jeremiah,  and  in  which  he  is  said  to  have 
written  his  Lamentations,  we  were  saluted  by  the  sonorous 
bray  of  a  donkey. 

In  the  neighborhood  are  subterranean  quarries  of  unknown 
depth  and  equally  unknown  date.  So  vast  are  the  excavations 
that  it  is  not  improbable  that  they  were  begun  before  the  time 
of  Solomon,  and  that  the  stones  used  in  the  temple,  which  were 
prepared  so  that  there  was  neither  hammer  nor  noise  of  any 
tool  heard  in  the  house  while  it  was  building,  were  quarried 
and  polished  here.  It  was  but  a  few  hundred  yards  back  to 
the  point  of  departure,  the  Jaffa  Gate. 

In  this  tour  around  the  outskirts  of  Jerusalem  we  were  con- 
stantly within  sight  of  the  city  wall,  the  entire  length  of  which 
is  a  little  over  two  miles  and  a  half.  The  average  height  is 
thirty-eight  and  a  half  feet,  and  above  it  rise  thirty-four 
towers.  These  were  undoubtedly  built  before  gunpowder 
and  cannon  came  into  use.  In  the  wall  are  seven  gates. 
The  Jaffa  was  but  two  hundred  yards  from  our  hotel.  The 
Arabs  call  it  the  Gate  of  Hebron,  as  all  travelers  to  Hebron 
pass  through  it.  This  is  the  only  gate  opening  to  the  "west." 
On  the  "north"  is  the  Damascus  Gate,  irregular,  having 
several  pinnacles,  and  known  as  the  "Gate  of  the  Columns," 
20 


374  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

from  slender  columns  covered  by  a  gable.  It  is  the  custom  of 
travelers  to  listen  for  the  rushing  of  an  ancient  water  course 
beneath  the  gate,  which  at  certain  seasons  can  be  plainly 
heard.  This  is  the  only  really  handsome  gate  in  Jerusalem. 
Herod's  Gate  is  between  the  northeast  corner  of  the  wall  and 
the  Damascus  Gate;  has  been  known  as  the  Gate  of  Herod 
only  about  two  hundred  years,  and  for  fifteen  years  had  been 
kept  closed,  but  is  now  opened  for  a  few  months  in  each  year. 

The  road  to  Samaria  and  Damascus  leads  through  the  Da- 
mascus Gate,  and  the  path  to  Olivet  and  Bethany  through 
the  Gate  of  the  Tribes,  otherwise  known  as  St.  Stephen's. 
The  Gate  of  the  Western  Africans,  which  has  another  name 
indicating  the  fact  that  the  offal  of  the  city  is  carried  out 
through  it,  is  also  on  the  south;  the  road  passing  through  it 
leads  to  the  village  of  Silwan.  The  Zion  Gate,  or  "Gate 
of  the  Prophet  David,"  near  the  alleged  site  of  David's  tomb, 
and  the  Golden  Gate  complete  the  seven.  The  Golden  Gate 
has  long  since  been  walled  up  by  the  Mohammedans  on  ac- 
count of  the  tradition  held  among  the  Christians  that  when 
the  Saviour  returns  to  earth  a  second  time  he  will  make  his 
entry  into  Jerusalem  through  this  gate  and  take  the  city  from 
the  followers  of  the  Prophet.  Another  tradition  is  that  it  is 
the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  temple,  where  Peter  and  John  healed 
the  lame  man;  but  there  is  no  ground  for  this  belief.  Another 
tradition  says  that  Christ  entered  the  city  through  this  gate 
on  Palm  Sunday;  accordingly  the  Crusaders  opened  it  for  a 
few  hours  on  that  day,  and  the  patriarch  rode  upon  an  ass, 
while  the  people  spread  their  garments  along  the  road. 

Within  these  walls  is  inclosed  the  modern  city  of  Jerusalem. 


THE  SACRED  PLACES.  377 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 
The    Sacred  Places. 

The  Haram  Esh-Sherif — Herod's  Temple — Mosque  of  Omar — Mosque  EI- 
Aksa — Wailing  Place  of  the  Jews — Via  Dolorosa — Church  of  the  Holy 
Sepulcher — Identity  of  Site. 

THE  Haram  Esh-Sherif  is  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  the 
modern  town,  surrounded  by  walls  in  which  are  eight  gates. 
The  moment  we  entered  our  attention  was  attracted  by  two 
edifices  of  imposing  aspect  on  the  summit  of  Mount  Moriah, 
which  many  believe  to  be  the  spot  where  Abraham  offered  up 
Isaac,  but  this  belief  is  not  universal  among  scholars.  Prob- 
ably very  near  this  spot  David  erected  an  altar,  and  the  evi- 
dence that  Solomon  built  the  temple  here  is  almost  conclusive, 
though  some  place  it  in  the  southwest  and  others  in  the  south- 
east corner. 

Many  suppose  that  the  temple  stood  in  the  very  center, 
elevated  above  the  surrounding  ground  upon  foundations  con- 
structed for  that  purpose.  Not  a  trace  can  be  discovered  of 
the  second  temple  erected  by  the  Jews  after  their  return  from 
captivity. 

I  examined  the  ruins  of  Herod's  temple.  On  the  south  side 
are  massive  foundations,  and  in  every  direction  underground 
excavations  have  proved  that  walls  existed.  Disputes  have 
arisen  and  continue  concerning  the  site  of  Solomon's  Porch,  of 
which  John  says:  "And  it  was  at  Jerusalem  the  feast  of  the 
dedication,  and  it  was  winter.  And  Jesus  walked  in  the  temple 
in  Solomon's  porch." 

This  temple,  one  of  the  most  magnificent  works,  adorned 
with  plates  of  gold,  was  protected  by  a  castle  to  the  north, 
from  which  Titus  watched  the  destruction  of  the  building, 
over  which  he  is  said  to  have  expressed  regret.  The  columns 
the  Jews  had  already  destroyed,  but  the  foundations  remain. 

So  bitter  was  the  animosity  between  Christians  and  Jews 
that  when  Jerusalem  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans, 


378  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

and  the  Caliph  Omar  requested  the  patriarch  to  conduct  him 
to  the  spot  where  the  Temple  of  Solomon  stood,  he  found  it 
covered  with  rubbish,  which  the  Christians  had  scattered  in 
contempt  of  the  Jews.  Till  forty  years  ago  both  Jews  and 
Christians  were  excluded  from  this  whole  territory,  few  excep- 
tions being  made.  Since  then  no  serious  obstruction  has  been 
placed  in  the  way  of  properly  accredited  explorers. 

Mohammedan  traditions  are  numerous.  The  Koran  declares 
that  God  conveyed  the  prophet  from  the  Temple  El-Haram,  in 
Mecca,  "to  the  most  distant  temple  whose  precincts  we  have 
blessed  " — that  is,  the  Mosque  El-Aksa  within  this  quadrangle 
— and  because  Mohammed  claims  to  have  been  here  in  person 
the  Mohammedans  consider  it  the  holiest  of  all  places  after 
Mecca. 

The  Mosque  of  Omar,  built  over  the  rock  and  often  spoken 
of  as  the  Dome  of  the  Rock,  is  a  splendid  building,  octagonal 
in  shape,  each  side  being  sixty-six  feet  long,  having  gates  fac- 
ing each  of  the  points  of  the  compass.  On  entering  I  gazed 
about  me  with  awe.  The  light  came  dimly  through  thirty-six 
stained-glass  windows,  when  suddenly  the  sun,  emerging  from 
a  cloud,  lighted  up  the  dreadful  gloom  which  oppressed  the 
mind  and  pained  the  eye,  and  the  long  cloisters  appeared.  We 
stood  upon  a  pavement  of  elegant  marble  mosaic,  and  above 
us  rose  a  dome  to  a  height  of  ninety  feet,  having  a  diameter 
of  sixty-six  feet.  The  walls  are  covered  with  tiles  of  every 
hue,  of  priceless  value,  and  the  frieze  consists  of  tiles  which 
bear  written  inscriptions  from  the  Koran.  Below  these,  which 
were  laid  three  hundred  years  ago,  the  building  was  covered 
with  marble. 

Inscriptions  in  the  building  definitely  state  the  issue  between 
Mohammedanism  and  Christianity.  These  are  specimens: 
"  The  Messiah,  Jesus,  is  only  the  Son  of  Mary,  the  Embas- 
sador  of  God  and  his  Word  which  he  deposited  in  Mary. 
Believe,  then,  in  God  and  his  Embassador,  and  do  not  main- 
tain that  there  are  three."  "  Praise  be  to  God  who  has  had 
no  son  or  companion  in  his  government,  and  who  requires  no 
helper  to  save  him  from  dishonor;  praise  him!" 

But  beyond  everything  else  in  interest  is  the  Holy  Rock. 
From  early  times  the  Jews  have  believed  that  Melchizedek  and 


THE  SACRED  PLACES.  381 

Abraham  offered  sacrifices  here.  The  Ark  of  the  Covenant 
stood  here,  and  it  is  believed  to  have  been  hidden  by  Jere- 
miah, and  to  be  buried  beneath  the  rock.  For  ages  it  was 
thought  to  be  the  central  point  of  the  world,  and  on  it  was  writ- 
ten the  great  and  unspeakable  name  of  God.  It  is  fifty-seven 
feet  long  and  forty-three  wide,  and  rises  six  and  a  half  feet 
above  the  pavement.  The  Mohammedan  notion  is  that  it 
hovers  over  an  abyss  without  support.  Descending  to  the 
cavern  we  found  that  there  are  various  supports,  but  "the 
earth  rings  hollow  from  below. " 

The  guide  showed  us  the  spots  where  David,  Solomon, 
Abraham,  and  Elijah  were  in  the  habit  of  praying.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Prophet  one  prayer  made  in  that  spot  is  worth 
a  thousand  elsewhere.  The  claim  is  that  after  Mohammed 
had  prayed  he  was  translated  to  heaven  riding  on  the  back 
of  his  famous  steed,  El-Burak.  As  he  went  by  the  di- 
rectest  route,  he  knocked  a  hole  in  the  ceiling,  which  is  still 
pointed  out.  They  affirm  that  the  rock  opened  its  mouth, 
and  so  a  tongue  is  depicted  over  the  entrance.  Another  thing 
they  tell  is  that  the  rock  made  desperate  efforts  to  follow 
Mohammed  to  heaven,  to  prevent  which  the  angel  Gabriel 
held  it  down,  the  prints  of  his  hands  being  plainly  visible! 
The  greatest  legendary  curiosity  is  a  slab  of  jasper  set  in  the 
ground  in  front  of  the  northern  entrance.  It  is  alleged  that 
Mohammed  drove  nineteen  golden  nails  into  this;  at  the  end 
of  every  great  epoch  one  nail  falls  out,  and  the  day  of  judg- 
ment will  come  when  the  last  nail  is  gone.  The  time  must  be 
near,  for  the  devil  succeeded  in  surreptitiously  destroying  all 
the  nails  but  three  and  a  half.  The  angel  Gabriel  interfered 
at  that  point.  I  saw  that  there  are  but  three  and  a  half  nails 
left,  and  what  better  proof  of  the  truth  of  the  whole  story 
could  one  desire?  Ancient  copies  of  the  Koran,  hairs  from  the 
beard  of  Mohammed,  and  other  curiosities  may  be  seen,  but 
not  touched. 

The  Mosque  El-Aksa  is  also  a  notable  building,  but  is  not 
connected  with  either  Jewish  or  Christian  antiquities.  "  Sol- 
omon's Stables  "  are  singular,  being  within  the  precincts  of 
the  Haram,  and  consisting  of  vaults  twenty-seven  feet  high, 
standing  on  a  hundred  square  piers.  Whether  they  date  from 


382  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

the  time  of  Solomon  may  well  be  doubted;  but,  as  his  palace 
was  near  here,  "they  may  have  been  built  upon  the  ruins  of 
his  stables."  From  the  walls  of  the  Haram  imposing  views 
are  obtained. 

On  leaving  the  Haram  we  went  direct  to  the  wailing  place 
of  the  Jews,  the  most  melancholy  spot  in  this  melancholy 
city.  Against  this  old  wall,  regardless  of  the  weather,  Jews 
lean,  and  from  time  to  time  kiss  the  stones  and  burst  into  un- 
controllable weeping.  Here  Jews  of  all  nations  assemble;  on 
Friday  especially  and  on  festival  days  the  number  is  great. 
Here  they  lament  over  the  calamities  which  have  befallen 
them,  and  their  litany  is  so  beautiful,  and  expresses  so  fully 
their  spirit,  that  I  give  a  specimen : 

Leader.     For  the  place  that  lies  desolate  : 

Response.     We  sit  in  solitude  and  mourn. 

Z.  For  the  palace  that  is  destroyed  : 

R.  We  sit  in  solitude  and  mourn. 

L.  For  the  walls  that  are  overthrown  : 

R.  We  sit  in  solitude  and  mourn. 

L.  For  our  majesty  that  is  departed  : 

R.  We  sit  in  solitude  and  mourn. 

L.  For  our  great  men  who  lie  dead  : 

R.  We  sit  in  solitude  and  mourn. 

L.  For  the  precious  stones  that  are  burned  : 

R.  We  sit  in  solitude  and  mourn. 

L.  For  the  priests  who  have  stumbled  : 

R.  We  sit  in  solitude  and  mourn. 

L.  For  our  kings  who  have  despised  him  : 

R.  We  sit  in  solitude  and  mourn. 

The  most  profoundly  interesting  object  in  Jerusalem  is  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher.  We  approached  it  through  the 
Via  Dolorosa,  "The  Way  of  Grief."  Leaving  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane,  crossing  the  valley  of  the  Kidron,  and  ascending 
the  hill,  we  came  to  St.  Stephen's  Gate.  The  iron  doors  are 
open;  the  guard  who  stands  there  is  ready  to  exhibit,  for  a 
small  fee,  a  footprint  of  Christ.  Once  within  the  gate  we  cast 
a  glance  at  the  Church  of  St.  Anne,  which  was  presented  to 
Napoleon  III  by  the  Sultan  at  the  close  of  the  Crimean  War. 
It  is  an  old  Crusader's  church,  in  good  preservation,  and  under 
French  protection.  The  Chapel  of  the  Scourging  did  not  de- 


Wailing  Place  of  the  Jews. 


THE  SACRED  PLACES.  385 

tain  us,  for  the  event  commemorated  has  been  located  in  so 
many  different  places  that  we  had  lost  interest  in  the  unim- 
portant question  of  the  site,  while  more  than  ever  impressed 
by  the  fact.  Beneath  the  altar  in  this  chapel  is  a  hole  where 
the  "Column  of  the  Scourging"  is  said  to  have  stood. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  Turkish  barracks  begins  the  trad- 
itional route  over  which  Christ  bore  his  cross  to  the  place  of 
his  crucifixion.  It  puzzles  one  to  decide  how  much  to  say  of 
the  myths,  legends,  conjectures,  reasonings,  and  positive  state- 
ments of  often  conflicting  authorities,  with  which  this  whole 
region  is  covered  as  deep  as  the  original  sites  must  be  by  the 
debris  of  successive  destructions. 

As  our  Lord  was  taken  from  the  Pretorium,  the  route  must 
depend  upon  its  location;  but  about  the  spot  there  has  been 
endless  dispute.  In  the  early  Crusades  it  was  placed  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  town,  on  the  west  hill.  Afterward  it  came 
to  be  believed  that  the  Turkish  barracks,  on  the  site  of  the  Cas- 
tle of  Antonio,  are  where  the  Pretorium  stood.  When  that  de- 
cision was  made,  the  so-called  "holy  steps,"  of  which  much  is 
made  in  Rome,  were  taken  to  the  Church  of  St.  John  Lateran 
in  that  city.  Though  hundreds  of  Jews  and  pilgrims  annually 
walk  and  weep  along  this  route,  from  every  Catholic  and 
Greek  country,  it  has  been  established  only  a  few  hundred 
years.  We  paused  at  each  station,  skeptical  as  to  their  ac- 
curacy, but  not  destitute  of  sympathy  with  the  pilgrims,  nor 
without  reverence  for  thoughts  awakened  by  a  comparison  of 
the  Gospel  narrative  with  the  announcements. 

The  first  regular  station  is  in  the  chapel  of  the  Turkish  bar- 
racks, it  being  claimed  that  it  occupies  the  site  of  Pilate's 
Judgment  Hall.  The  next,  a  few  steps  distant,  is  that  of  the 
binding  of  the  cross  upon  the  shoulders  of  Christ.  A  little 
farther  is  an  arch,  not  one  of  the  regular  stations,  known  by 
the  name  of  the  "  Ecce  Homo "  Arch,  and  also  Arch  of 
Pilate.  When  Jesus  came  forth  wearing  the  crown  of  thorns 
and  the  purple  robes,  Pilate  said,  "Behold  the  Man;"  this 
arch,  they  say,  was  erected  to  mark  that  spot.  It  is  believed 
that  this  is  a  Roman  structure  of  the  time  of  Hadrian.  The 
third  station  is  indicated  by  a  broken  column.  The  prepon- 
derance of  sentiment  connects  it  with  our  Lord's  sinking 


386  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

under  the  weight  of  the  cross.  The  fourth  station  is  fixed  at 
the  place  where  they  teach  that  Christ  met  his  mother.  The 
fifth  is  where  Simon  the  Cyrenian  is  said  to  have  taken  the 
cross  from  Christ.  In  the  next  house  there  is  a  stone  built 
into  the  wall  in  which  is  an  indentation  asserted  to  have  been 
produced  by  Christ's  shoulder  as  he  leaned  against  it  to  rest. 
The  sixth  station  is  near  the  tomb  of  St.  Veronica.  Her 
bust  is  carved  in  stone.  This  is  the  spot  where  she  is  alleged 
to  have  wiped  the  sweat  from  the  Saviour's  brow,  and  the 
miracle  was  wrought  whereby  his  image  was  indelibly  imprinted 
upon  her  handkerchief.  In  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane  one 
of  the  pictures  represents  that  fanciful  scene  in  a  frightfully 
realistic  manner,  St.  Veronica  being  shown  in  the  picture  hold- 
ing up  her  handkerchief  with  his  face  upon  it.  The  seventh  is 
known  as  the  Porta  Judiciaria.  The  eighth  is  placed  where 
Jesus  said  to  the  women:  "Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep 
not  for  me,  but  weep  for  yourselves,  and  for  your  children." 
The  ninth  station  represents  Jesus  as  sinking  again  under 
the  weight  of  the  cross,  notwithstanding  Simon  was  at  that 
time  bearing  it. 

We  now  reach  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher;  within 
which  are  the  five  remaining  stations.  Thomson  remarks,  in 
The  Land  and  the  Book:  "  That  whole  street,  with  all  its 
sacred  places,  I  give  up  at  once,  as  no  plausible  evidence  can 
be  deduced  for  the  identity  of  any  of  its  stations."  Ancient 
traditions  say  that  this  church  covers  the  site  of  our  Saviour's 
crucifixion;  but  powerful  considerations  seem  to  prove  that  it 
does  not.  To-day  an  influential  party  of  explorers,  chiefly  from 
the  United  States,  are  inclined  to  locate  Golgotha  outside  the 
present  city  walls,  near  the  Tomb  of  Jeremiah. 

We  visited  the  spot  and  compared  it  with  the  Bible  narra- 
tive. The  Scriptures  plainly  say  that  Jesus  was  crucified  out- 
side the  city.  John  says:  "He  .  .  .  went  forth  into  a  place 
called  the  place  of  a  skull,  which  is  called  in  the  Hebrew 
Golgotha."  Then  follows  a  description  of  the  title  which 
Pilate  put  upon  the  cross,  and  the  gospel  says:  "This  title 
then  read  many  of  the  Jews;  for  the  place  where  Jesus  was 
crucified  was  nigh  to  the  city."  The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews 
says  that  "  He  suffered  without  the  gate." 


o 


THE  SACRED  PLACES.  389 

The  bulk  of  evidence  shows  that  the  present  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulcher  is  outside  the  second  wall,  and  therefore  out- 
side the  city  in  New  Testament  times.  From  the  year  326  the 
uniform  tradition  of  the  Christian  Church  has  been  that  this  is 
the  spot.  It  was  based  on  the  history  of  the  Empress  Helena, 
the  mother  of  Constantine,  who  came  to  Jerusalem  when  she 
was  seventy-nine  years  old,  to  find  the  true  cross.  The  legend 
is  that  she  had  definite  instructions  where  to  dig.  The 
place  was  covered  with  rubbish  by  the  heathen,  but  after  long 
digging  three  similar  crosses  were  found  at  the  bottom  of  a 
cave.  Macarius,  the  Bishop  of  Jerusalem,  laid  two  crosses  on 
the  sick,  which  did  not  make  them  a  whit  the  better;  but  when 
the  third  was  applied  to  a  woman  supposed  to  be  at  the  point 
of  death  she  was  immediately  healed.  That  settled  the  identity 
of  the  cross,  and  at  the  same  time  the  Holy  Sepulcher  was  dis- 
covered. This  is  certain,  that  from  326  till  now  there  has 
been  a  continuous  chain  of  belief  that  in  this  vicinity  the  holy 
events  occurred,  though  the  place  of  the  finding  of  the  crosses 
is  not  held  to  be  identical  with  Golgotha. 

Dr.  Robinson  says:  "  In  every  view  which  I  have  been  able 
to  take,  both  topographical  and  historical,  I  am  led  irresistibly 
to  the  conclusion  that  Golgotha  and  the  tomb  now  shown  in 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher  are  not  upon  the  real  places 
of  the  crucifixion  and  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord."  The  ar- 
guments in  favor  of  the  site  near  the  Tomb  of  Jeremiah  are 
stated  in  a  pamphlet  by  Fisher  Howe.  It  is  claimed  that 
the  isolated  skull-shaped  hill  near  the  Tomb  of  Jeremiah,  not 
far  from  the  Damascus  Gate,  meets  all  the  conditions.  It 
was  "without  the  gate  of  Jerusalem,  nigh  unto  the  city, 
noticeably  skull-shaped,  near  to  one  of  the  leading  thorough- 
fares of  the  city,  eminently  conspicuous,  nigh  unto  the  gardens 
and  sepulchers."  There  are  other  points  in  the  vicinity  of 
Jerusalem  which,  with  the  exception  of  the  resemblance  of  this 
point  to  a  skull,  answer  these  descriptions.  Nor  is  it  certain 
that  the  spot  where  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher  and  the 
tomb  now  are  is  precisely  what  it  was  at  the  time  the  events 
commemorated  took  place. 

Visitors  to  Jerusalem  will  find  the  advocates  of  the  respec- 
tive theories  of  the  location  enthusiastic  and  positive;  but  the 


390  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

present  site  has  nearly  one  thousand  six  hundred  years  priority 
of  possession,  and  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  individual  opinion, 
though  strong  or  well-sustained  by  reasoning,  will  ever  make  a 
change  in  the  general  belief  of  the  Christian  world  concerning 
the  location. 

I  entered  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher  in  a  calm  frame, 
determined  to  allow  the  scriptural  narratives  to  have  due 
weight  and  to  observe  what  the  monks  had  to  say,  as  one  might 
read  a  work  of  fiction  founded  on  fact.  Several  visits  are 
necessary  to  survey  the  situation  intelligently. 

Services  are  progressing  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  and 
the  sound  of  solemn  music  falls  upon  the  ear  almost  contin- 
uously, now  loud  and  near,  then  soft  and  distant,  and  again 
reverberating,  in  tones  of  thunder,  among  the  corridors, 
columns,  and  chapels. 

We  entered  through  that  part  of  the  church  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  Greeks.  In  the  center  is  a  hollow  which  shows 
the  spot  where  Abraham  attempted  to  sacrifice  Isaac.  This 
has  been  the  tradition  for  about  one  thousand  three  hundred 
years,  before  which  it  was  located  elsewhere.  Not  far  from 
this  spot  is  an  Armenian  Chapel,  and  next  to  that  a  Coptic 
Chapel  of  the  Archangel  Michael;  gloomy  places.  The  Greeks 
have  built  a  chapel,  which  they  call  The  Chapel  of  the  Egyp- 
tian Mary,  to  commemorate  the  alleged  fact  that  Mary,  an 
Egyptian,  endeavored  to  enter  the  church  in  374,  and  some 
mysterious  invisible  power  drove  her  away,  but  she  prayed  to  the 
Virgin  Mary,  and  was  able  to  resist  it.  Mary  Magdalene  is 
honored  by  a  chapel  built  upon  the  place  where  Christ  ap- 
peared to  her  for  the  third  time. 

The  church  and  sepulcher  extend  from  east  to  west;  and 
the  first  object  before  which  we  paused  was  the  Stone  of 
Anointment.  This,  it  is  alleged,  is  the  stone  on  which  the 
body  of  Jesus  lay  when  it  was  anointed  by  Nicodemus,  accord- 
ing to  the  gospel  of  John.  The  stone  has  been  moved  sev- 
eral times;  and  the  Copts,  the  Georgians,  the  Latins,  and  the 
Greeks  respectively  have  owned  it.  The  present  is  a  com- 
paratively new  stone.  For  ages  the  pilgrims  measured  the 
stone  in  order  that  they  might  have  their  winding  sheets  made 
of  the  same  length ! 


a 


THE  SACRED  PLACES. 


393 


For  a  few  centuries  the  Chapel  of  the  Syrians  has  been  rep- 
resented to  be  above  the  tombs  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea  and 
Nicodemus.  Chapels  are  built  to  commemorate  almost  every 
event  in  the  Gospel  history. 


Interior  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher. 

The  Holy  Sepulcher  is  in  the  center  of  the  rotunda  beneath 
the  dome.  We  approached  through  the  Angel's  Chapel,  a 
vestibule  five  or  six  paces  long.  In  the  center  is  the  stone  (?) 


394  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

which  the  angel  rolled  away  from  the  mouth  of  the  sepulcher, 
and  on  which  he  sat;  it  ;s  set  in  marble.  Fifteen  lamps  con- 
stantly burn  in  this  chapel,  five  belonging  to  the  Greeks,  five 
to  the  Latins,  four  to  the  Armenians,  and  one  to  the  Copts. 
The  Chapel  of  the  Sepulcher,  to  which  this  vestibule  leads,  is 
so  small  that  only  three  or  four  can  enter  at  once.  Forty- 
three  lamps  hang  there.  The  Armenians,  Greeks,  and  Latins 
having  thirteen  each,  the  Copts  the  remainder.  The  roof  is 
supported  by  marble  columns;  every  day  mass  is  celebrated, 
and  the  marble  tombstone  used  as  an  altar.  Since  for  a  thou- 
sand years  the  natural  surface  has  been  covered  with  marble, 
no  opportunity  has  been  given  for  the  critical  examination  of 
modern  scholars  as  to  whether  there  is  any  probability  that  a 
tomb  exists.  The  chief  chapel  of  the  Roman  Catholics,  every- 
where in  the  East  called  the  Latins,  is  that  of  the  Apparition. 
There  is  a  chapel  in  honor  of  Saint  Longinus,  erected  by  the 
Greeks;  but  the  Latins  will  not  pause  before  it  in  their  solemn 
processions.  Longinus  is  claimed  to  be  the  soldier  who  pierced 
Jesus'  side,  the  myth  saying  that  he  had  been  blind  in  one 
eye,  but  when  the  blood  and  water  reached  that  eye  he  re- 
covered sight,  whereupon  he  repented  and  became  a  Christian. 
The  Chapel  of  the  Finding  of  the  Cross  is  recent.  In  one  of 
the  chapels  is  an  altar  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  the  penitent 
thief,  and  it  was  believed,  down  to  within  eighty  years,  that  the 
columns  of  this  chapel  shed  tears.  The  Chapel  of  Adam  is 
supposed  to  be  over  his  burial  place,  but  an  old  tradition  run- 
neth to  the  effect  that  when  the  Saviour's  blood  trickled 
through  the  cleft  in  the  rock  it  restored  Adam  to  life. 

Previous  to  the  time  of  the  Crusaders  there  was  a  chapel 
over  Calvary,  but  since  it  has  been  included  within  the  church. 
The  site  of  our  Lord's  crucifixion  is  covered  by  the  Chapel  of 
the  Raising  of  the  Cross.  The  sites  of  the  crosses  of  the 
thieves  are  in  the  corners  of  the  outer  space,  only  five  feet 
from  the  cross  of  Christ.  A  cleft  in  the  rock  is  exhibited, 
six  inches  deep,  covered  with  a  brass  slide.  Matthew  (xxvii, 
51)  says:  "The  earth  did  quake  ;  and  the  rocks  were  rent." 
All  kind  of  extravagant  stories  have  been  told  about  this  cleft; 
one  that  it  reaches  to  the  center  of  the  earth. 


BETHLEHEM  AND  THE  CONVENT  OF  MAR  SABA.       395 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 
Bethlehem  and  the  Convent  of  Mar  Saba. 

An  Ancient  Guide — "A  Vain  Thing  for  Safety"— Tomb  of  Rachel — Situa- 
tion and  History  of  Bethlehem — Birthplace  of  Christ — Church  of  the  Na- 
tivity— Tomb  of  St.  Jerome — The  Weird  Convent  of  Mar  Saba — History — 
Rules  of  the  Order  of  Monks. 

IN  Jerusalem  arrangements  had  been  made  to  secure  an  ex- 
cellent guide,  and  a  fine  outfit  of  horses  and  accouterments  for 
a  journey  to  the  principal  objects  accessible  in  a  few  days' 
ride  from  the  city.  At  the  last  moment  we  were  disappointed. 
The  demand  for  horses  for  more  extensive  tours,  and  for  our 
guide,  who  had  had  a  previous  engagement  contingent  upon 
the  arrival  of  a  party,  which  had  lost  its  connections  by  being 
carried  unexpectedly  from  Jaffa  to  Beyroot,  compelled  us  to 
take  what  was  left.  Our  guide,  therefore,  was  an  ancient  man, 
Moses,  a  Jew  of  long — altogether  too  long — experience  in 
Palestine,  Turkey,  Armenia,  and  other  parts  of  the  oriental 
world.  He  had  a  good  reputation  as  a  man,  but  was  too  nearly 
wornout  for  the  work. 

With  one  exception  the  horses  were  such  as  in  America 
would  be  employed  in  carting  ashes.  Of  these  the  guide  had 
the  least  bad,  Dr.  Bancroft  the  next,  and  the  animal  upon 
which  I  was  placed  would  by  contrast  have  made  the  reputa- 
tion of  Don  Quixote's  "  Rozinante  "  as  a  noble  specimen  of  the 
genus  equus.  He  was  an  incomprehensible  beast — not  fat, 
yet  so  broad  across  the  back  that  my  legs  were  much  nearer 
being  at  right  angles  with  the  trunk  than  parallel  with  each 
other.  The  saddle  thus  projected  the  flaps  in  such  a  way  that 
they  cut  like  knives  into  the  calves.  But  this  was  not  the 
worst.  The  animal's  motion  was  neither  trot,  canter,  walk, 
pace,  nor  "single  foot;  "  the  St.  Vitus's  dance  alone  can  give 
an  adequate  conception  of  it.  Moreover,  he  stopped  at  inter- 
vals of  about  two  hundred  yards.  If  whipped,  he  threw  back 
his  ears,  and  pawed  the  ground.  If  not  whipped,  he  looked 


396  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

around,  as  if  to  say,  "If  you  are  pleased,  I  am;  if  not,  help 
yourself  if  you  can." 

The  guide  and  Dr.  Bancroft  were  soon  out  of  sight.  In 
despair  of  overtaking  them  if  1  remained  on  the  horse's  back,  I 
dismounted  to  pull  him  along.  He  then  refused  to  stand  to 
be  mounted.  I  took  him  by  the  tail  and  by  the  bridle  at  the 
same  time,  and  jumped  into  the  stirrup.  This  seemed  to  con- 
fuse his  understanding,  for  while  he  was  gathering  himself  for 
battle  a  posteriori,  his  attention  was  diverted  to  his  head.  The 
next  struggle  was  caused  by  his  mutiny  at  a  bridge.  Over 
this  I  led  him,  thinking  of  Mr.  Pickwick's  words  under  similar 
circumstances:  "It  is  like  a  dream,  a  hideous  dream!  The 
idea  of  a  man's  walking  about  all  day  with  a  dreadful  horse 
that  he  cannot  get  rid  of."  By  this  time  I  felt  that  the  only 
thing  left  was  to  master  that  horse,  and  as  relief  to  my  feel- 
ings, after  I  had  succeeded  in  mounting  again,  I  stood  up  in 
the  saddle  and  stimulated  him.  He  made  strenuous  efforts  to 
unseat  me,  but,  failing  in  this,  started  to  run.  Each  leap 
threatened  to  dislocate  every  joint  in  my  body,  but  it  took 
only  ten  minutes  of  this  misery  to  bring  me  in  sight  of  the 
guide  and  Dr.  Bancroft.  We  held  a  council  of  war,  and  de- 
cided that  as  the  only  man  who  was  making  money  out  of  the 
trip  was  Moses,  he  should  trade  horses.  He  did  not  in  words 
object,  but,  in  a  few  minutes  after  he  bestrode  the  animal, 
gloomily  observed  to  the  doctor:  "This  horse  will  be  the 
death  of  me. "  He  was  ' '  a  vain  thing  for  safety, "  and  for  travel 
not  "an  unthinking  horse,"  but  one  that  understood  himself 
perfectly. 

The  road  to  Bethlehem  is  delightful;  the  distance  not  more 
than  seven  miles.  We  went  down  into  the  valley  of  Gihon, 
then  up  the  hill  toward  the  southwest.  Here  is  the  tree  on 
which  Judas  hanged  himself!  Our  route  then  ran  across  an 
elevated  plateau  where  David  defeated  the  Philistines.  The 
ascent  is  gradual;  the  air  was  clear  and  the  sky  as  bright  as 
that  of  Egypt.  Beside  this  road  an  old  ruin  existed,  which 
has  recently  been  restored,  and  is  declared  to  have  been  the 
house  of  Simeon. 

There  is  nothing  so  permanent  in  all  Syria  as  wells,  except 
the  rock  tombs;  indeed,  Stanley  makes  the  tombs  less 


BETHLEHEM  AND  THE  CONVENT  OF  MAR  SABA.       397 

authentic  than  the  wells.  Accordingly,  excellent  authorities 
believe  that  the  well  which  we  passed  on  that  road  is  the  spot 
where  the  wise  men  saw  the  miraculous  star  in  the  east  after 
they  departed  from  the  king. 

An  amusing  legend  is  that  of  the  field  of  peas.  It  is  to  the 
effect  that  Christ,  passing  along,  asked  a  laborer  what  he  was 
sowing;  he  insolently  replied,  "Stones."  The  field,  therefore, 
brought  forth  stone  peas,  some  of  which  are  to  be  seen  on 
the  spot — small,  pea-shaped  stones,  of  which  millions  of  bush- 
els can  be  found  in  certain  localities  in  the  United  States. 

By  far  the  most  interesting  object  is  the  Tomb  of  Rachel. 
This  is  one  of  the  few  points  where  the  probability  of  correct- 
ness becomes  almost  a  certainty.  Rachel  had  come  from 
Bethel  on  her  way  to  Bethlehem.  Gen.  xxxv,  16  says: 
"  There  was  but  a  little  way  to  come  to  Ephrath."  There  her 
child  was  born,  and  there  she  died,  and  "  was  buried  in  the 
way  to  Ephrath,  which  is  Bethlehem."  Jacob  set  a  pillar  upon 
her  grave;  when  the  Pentateuch  was  written,  that  monument 
was  described  as  "  the  pillar  of  Rachel's  grave  unto  this  day," 
and  the  Jews  through  all  their  history  so  identified  and 
revered  it.  There  has  never  been  any  other  tradition.  Jews, 
Mohammedans,  and  Christians  have  united  in  the  belief  for  a 
thousand  years,  and  no  Jew  goes  to  Palestine  without  visiting 
this  tomb,  which  was  marked  by  a  pyramid  of  stones.  The  only 
doubt  raised  is  because  of  a  passage  in  Samuel  which  locates 
the  tomb  of  Rachel  in  the  border  of  Benjamin.  There  is  so 
much  uncertainty  about  border  lines,  and  the  statements  in 
Genesis  are  so  explicit,  that  this  does  not  overthrow  the  pre- 
sumption of  the  truth  of  the  tradition. 

Bethlehem  is  on  a  long  hill,  twenty-five  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  there  is  great  sim- 
ilarity between  its  situation  and  that  of  Jerusalem,  except  that 
the  descent  is  more  abrupt  from  the  Holy  City.  The  manu- 
facture of  rosaries,  crosses,  images,  and  other  religious  objects 
is  carried  on  extensively.  We  were  constantly  beset  by  natives 
with  olive-wood  rosaries  strung  above  their  heads  and  around 
their  necks  and  arms. 

We  are  now  at  the  scene  of  the  beautiful  story  of  Ruth,  the 
great-grandmother  of  David.  It  was  to  Bethlehem  that  Samuel 


398  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

was  sent  to  make  examination  of  the  sons  of  Jesse  to  find 
whom  the  Lord  had  chosen.  Among  these  hills,  near  by, 
David  had  kept  his  father's  sheep,  and  there  he  slew  the  lion 
and  the  bear. 

The  transcendent,  unquestioned  fact  is  that  in  Bethlehem 
Christ  was  born.  The  scene  of  this  event  is  supposed  to  be 
within  a  mass  of  buildings  known  as  the  Church  of  the  Nativity, 
and  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  Armenian  convents.  This  series  of 
ecclesiastical  edifices  extends  from  west  to  east  on  the  summit 
of  the  hill;  nor  did  I  see  while  in  Palestine  so  imposing  a 
spectacle  of  human  creation.  The  Latin  convent  projects 
from  the  church  to  the  northeast,  the  Greek  to  the  southeast, 
and  the  Armenian  to  the  southwest,  while  the  village  straggles 
to  the  westward. 

As  we  ascended  the  hill  the  venerable  building  towered  like 
a  fortification.  Justin  Martyr,  in  the  second  century,  speaks 
of  Christ's  being  born  in  a  cavern  near  the  village.  Stables  in 
Palestine — a  rocky  country,  where  wood  is  scarce — were  usually 
caves  or  artificial  excavations  in  the  rocks.  To  this  day  it  is 
so  wherever  the  configuration  of  the  country  is  favorable. 
Justin  Martyr  in  the  second,  and  Origen  in  the  third  century, 
make  the  same  observation,  and  all  the  Apocryphal  gospels  so 
represent. 

This,  of  all  the  existing  local  traditions  of  Palestine,  Stanley 
thinks,  is  the  only  one  which  indisputably  reaches  beyond  the 
time  of  Constantine.  Here  Constantine  erected  a  magnificent 
church,  and  the  best  critics  maintain  that  the  present  church 
is  the  original  structure.  Cedars  of  Lebanon  were  used  in  the 
construction  of  the  rafters,  but  in  the  time  of  Edward  IV 
they  were  repaired  by  the  use  of  English  oaks,  given  by  the 
king  for  the  purpose.  The  presumption  that  this  is  the  ori- 
ginal church  is  strengthened  by  the  fact  that,  from  the  Middle 
Ages,  in  all  the  accounts  given  by  pilgrims,  there  is  "a  re- 
markable unanimity  regarding  its  situation  and  architecture." 

The  church  is  simple  in  construction,  ornamented  by 
mosaics,  most  of  which  are  now  imperfect,  and  embellished 
with  paintings  from  scriptural  scenes,  grand  in  effect,  but 
badly  mutilated.  The  five  rows  of  marble  columns  of  the 
Corinthian  order  are  striking,  and  tradition  alleges  that  they 


BETHLEHEM  AND  THE  CONVENT  OF  MAR  SABA.       399 

once  formed  part  of  Solomon's  Temple  at  Jerusalem.  This  is 
possibly  true,  because  of  the  habit  in  the  East  of  building 
columns  from  famous  monumental  edifices  into  new  structures. 

Permission  to  use  the  nave  is  given  to  all  sects,  and  for  this 
reason  it  is  neglected  as  to  adornment,  but  interesting  because 
"  in  all  probability  the  most  ancient  monument  of  Christian 
architecture  in  the  world. "  Beneath  the  great  choir  is  the  crypt. 
By  staircases  we  descend  to  the  Chapel  of  the  Nativity,  and 
the  spot  is  indicated  by  a  silver  star  set  in  the  marble  pave- 
ment. This  inscription  is  near  :  "Hie  de  Virgine  Maria  Jesus 
Christus  Natus  est "  (Here  of  the  Virgin  Mary  Jesus  Christ  was 
born).  By  three  steps  more  we  descended  to  the  Chapel  of  the 
Manger,and  an  old  tradition  is  that  the  original  wooden  manger 
was  there  discovered.  It  was  supposed  to  be  found  and  taken 
by  the  Empress  Helena  to  Rome,  deposited  in  the  Church  of 
St.  Maria  Maggiore,  and  at  Christmas,  with  the  authority  of  the 
pope,  it  is  exhibited  to  reverent  and  curious  crowds. 

All  about  were  memorials  of  the  Gospel  history,  and  various 
altars — one  devoted  to  the  Magi,  another  to  the  shepherds, 
and  another  to  Joseph — on  the  spot  where  they  had  adored 
the  Holy  Child,  or  received  divine  commands.  I  relinquished 
myself  to  the  reverential  emotions  which  the  belief  that  I  was 
in  the  spot  where  the  infant  Saviour  lay  would  naturally  inspire 
in  the  heart  of  a  Christian. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Tomb  of  St.  Jerome  receives  much  atten- 
tion from  Christian  pilgrims  of  every  sect.  He  is  the  most 
eminent  pilgrim  to  the  cave  of  Bethlehem;  "the  only  one  of 
the  many  hermits  and  monks  from  the  time  of  Constantine  to 
the  present  day  sheltered  within  its  rocky  sides,  whose  name 
has  traveled  beyond  the  limits  of  the  Holy  Land."  He  came 
from  Rome  to  Syria,  accompanied  by  Paula,  a  Roman  lady, 
and  her  daughter,  and  retired  to  this  cell  where  he  remained 
alone  for  more  than  thirty  years,  producing  letters,  commen- 
taries, and  the  translation  of  the  Bible  still  used  in  the  Latin 
Church.  In  420  he  expired  in  this  cell.  Both  Paula  and  her 
daughter  were  eminent  for  learning  and  piety,  the  mother 
becoming  the  head  of  a  nunnery  in  Bethlehem,  and  dying 
within  its  walls. 

We  ascended  to  the  summits  of  the  various  monasteries,  and 
21 


4oo  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

enjoyed  the  dissimilar  and  beautiful  views.  The  sole  reason 
why  there  are  not  more  traditional  sites  in  the  Holy  Land  is 
that  inventive  genius  cannot  find  names  for  them.  They  make 
nothing  of  showing  the  house  in  which  Joseph  lived  and  had 
his  dream. 

There  is  a  tradition,  which  dates  at  least  from  the  year  620, 
concerning  the  place  where  the  angels  appeared  to  the  shep- 
herds. We  found  the  field  inclosed  by  a  wall,  within  which 
are  some  very  fine  olive  trees.  For  centuries  there  was  a 
church  and  monastery  here.  The  ruins  remaining  are  sup- 
posed to  belong  to  the  mediaeval  Church  of  Gloria  in  Excelsis. 
The  Grotto  of  the  Shepherds,  in  which  they  are  supposed 
to  have  dwelt,  is  fitted  up  as  a  church,  and  has  been  under 
the  control  of  the  Greeks  since  the  time  of  the  Crusades.  I 
am  sorry  that  there  is  not  better  authority  for  it,  since  the 
situation  would  harmonize  well  with  the  narratives.  Moses, 
being  a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews,  had  little  to  say;  all  he  could 
do  was  to  point  out  the  place  and  give  the  name  by  which  it 
is  known.  Obviously  he  did  not  believe  there  ever  was  any 
such  vision.  At  the  same  time  he  thought  that  Christ  was 
a  Jew  who  was  misunderstood  by  the  people,  and  who  failed 
to  comprehend  himself. 

We  rode  over  the  hills  for  about  three  hours  to  the  Convent 
of  Mar  Saba.  After  the  first  hour,  from  an  elevated  hill,  we 
took  the  last  view  of  Bethlehem.  Descending,  we  followed  a 
path  gloomy  and  barren ;  but,  like  many  other  desolate  pros- 
pects, it  was  more  terrible  in  the  seeming  than  in  the  reality; 
for  on  approach  the  roughest  places  became  comparatively 
smooth,  the  ascents  and  descents  being  gradual,  and  the  path 
proving  wide  enough  for  safety.  There  was  absolutely  no 
population;  not  a  human  being  to  be  seen  hour  after  hour, 
except  the  Bedouin  escort  whom  we  were  obliged  to  em- 
ploy; for  in  none  of  these  excursions  in  the  Holy  Land  is  it 
safe  to  go  without  an  officer.  Our  Bedouin  was  physically 
feeble,  and  carried  the  oldest  specimen  of  a  gun  outside  of 
a  museum  of  antiquities;  he  represented,  however,  the  Turk- 
ish government,  and  was  a  sufficient  protection. 

The  Convent  of  Mar  Saba  surpasses  in  weirdness  anything 
imaginable.  Not  amid  the  ruins  of  Karnak  or  Philae,  at 


Convent  of  Mar  Saba. 


BETHLEHEM  AND  THE  CONVENT  OF  MAR  SABA.       403 

the  base  or  within  the  dark  caverns  of  the  Pyramids,  was 
the  sensation  so  peculiar  as  here.  Women  are  never  admit- 
ted. Years  ago  one  accidentally  passed  the  outer  gate,  caus- 
ing more  consternation  than  would  have  been  produced  by  the 
evil  spirit.  When  ladies,  ignorant  of  the  rule,  come  with  their 
friends,  they  are  obliged  to  pass  the  night  in  a  tower  which 
stands  upon  a  hill  at  some  little  distance.  Above  the  gate 
rises  another  tower  where  is  stationed  a  watchman,  who  sur- 
veys the  expanse  of  mountains  and  ravines,  on  the  alert  to  dis- 
cern hostile  approach.  This  precaution  is  necessary  to  this  day. 

One  thousand  three  hundred  years  ago  a  settlement,  known 
by  the  peculiar  name  of  a  Laura,  was  established  here  by  St. 
Euthymius.  Growing  very  wealthy,  it  was  robbed  from  time 
to  time,  beginning  with  the  Persian  hordes  of  Chosroes  in  614, 
which  led  to  its  being  fortified;  but  it  has  been  attacked 
several  times,  and  as  lately  as  1834.  It  is  now  under  the 
patronage  of  the  Russian  empire,  and  fifty  years  ago  was  en- 
larged and  restored.  On  announcing  that  we  desired  to  re- 
main over  night,  we  were  shown  into  a  room  capable  of  accom- 
modating twelve  persons.  Fortunately  there  were  no  other 
strangers.  A  good  meal  was  served,  though  the  fastidious 
would  have  seen  something  to  criticise  in  the  not  very  cleanly 
attire  of  the  monks  who  waited  upon  us. 

Human  ingenuity  never  prepared  another  such  place  of  abode. 
A  series  of  houses  has  been  constructed  upon  the  ledges  of 
the  rock,  and  from  the  lowest  point  it  appears  as  though  dove- 
cots had  been  built  in  stories.  Artificial  battlements  and  but- 
tresses have  been  made,  the  foundation  and  inner  wall  in  every 
case  of  natural  rock.  These  are  reached  by  labyrinths,  pas- 
sages, and  small  courtyards,  and  every  spot  is  occupied  by  the 
cells  of  the  monks.  "You  see  men  walking  upon  these  ledges 
of  rock,  and  turning  into  these  holes  in  the  wall;  and  you 
look  upon  a  little  garden  hanging  in  the  air,  as  it  seems, 
with  a  solitary  palm  tree  looking  wonderingly  down  into  the 
chasm,  in  which  are  more  buildings  and  chapels  and  cupo- 
las." Sixty-five  or  seventy  monks  dwell  in  the  convent,  be- 
sides a  few  lunatics,  of  whom  they  have  charge.  We  visited  all 
the  terraces  and  entered  into  the  sanctuary,  originally  a  grot- 
to. Behind  a  grating  were  the  skulls  of  martyrs  slain  by  the 


404  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Persians  twelve  hundred  years  ago.  Moses,  after  conversation 
with  the  monks,  described  the  rules  of  the  order.  Some  in- 
variably arise  to  hold  a  service  at  2  A.  M.  They  fast  much  of 
the  time,  and  when  they  eat  have  little  besides  vegetables. 
Not  a  human  being  resides  in  the  neighborhood;  so  these  men, 
deprived  of  the  loving  smile  of  wife,  mother,  daughter,  sister, 
live  on  year  after  year,  grow  old  and  die;  but  are  fain  to 
make  friends  with  the  animal  creation,  taming  the  wild  birds, 
that  fly  over  the  hills,  so  that  they  come  and  eat  from  the 
hands.  The  monks  appeared  to  be  industrious;  every  spot  of 
earth  is  cultivated;  and  the  convent  is  famous  for  its  fine  figs 
which,  owing  to  the  heat  of  the  sun,  ripen  earlier  than  in  the 
vicinity  of  Jerusalem.  In  the  night  we  heard  the  music,  but 
did  not  rise  to  attend  their  service.  The  library  is  famous, 
but  the  key  is  kept  by  the  patriarch,  in  Jerusalem,  and  the 
monks  do  not  have  access  to  it. 


DEAD  SEA,  JORDAN,  JERICHO,  AND  BETHANY.         405 


CHAPTER   XLIX. 
The  Dead  Sea,  The  Jordan,  Jericho,  and  Bethany. 

Wilderness  of  Engedi — Tomb  of  Moses — Beautiful  Views — Peculiarities  of 
the  Dead  Sea  Explained — Pillars  of  Salt — The  Jordan — Ancient  Gilgal — 
Russian  Pilgrims — Bethany — Tomb  of  Lazarus — Tower  of  David  in  Jeru- 
salem. 

AT  an  early  hour  the  next  morning  we  began  a  ride  of 
five  hours  to  the  Dead  Sea.  The  way  lay  along  the  valley 
of  the  Kidron,  several  hundred  feet  precipitously  beneath  us. 
After  a  time  we  made  the  ascent,  and  on  reaching  the  summit 
beheld  the  wilderness  of  Engedi  stretched  out  before  us. 
The  heat  was  almost  tropical,  and  more  depressing  than  that 
of  Egypt.  Down  the  long  slope  we  traveled,  meeting  occa- 
sionally a  Bedouin  who  looked  at  us  in  a  semi-savage  way,  and 
in  sight  upon  the  hills  were  three  or  four  of  these  wanderers 
of  the  desert  and  the  mountains.  A  mile  and  a  half  away  to 
the  left  of  the  road  rises  the  minaret  of  "  Neby  Musa,  the 
Tomb  of  Moses."  The  Mohammedans  pay  no  attention  to 
the  Bible  narrative,  and  assign  the  tomb  of  the  leader  of  Israel 
to  this  spot,  to  which  they  come  annually  in  multitudes,  but 
no  Christian  or  Jew  accompanies  them. 

As  we  proceeded  wonderful  views  burst  upon  us.  Moab, 
which  we  had  seen  from  the  summit  of  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
now  appeared  much  nearer;  the  long  valley  of  the  Jordan,  the 
region  in  which  is  Mount  Nebo,  and  the  supposed  peak  of 
Pisgah  were  in  plain  sight.  Without  these  views  it  would 
have  been  tiresome  to  ride  so  long  with  the  Dead  Sea  appar- 
ently but  a  few  hundred  yards  from  us — an  optical  illusion, 
which  was  increased  by  the  irregular  surface  of  the  country. 

One  pervaded  with  the  prevalent  ideas  concerning  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  on  examining  the  Bible,  would  be  astonished 
to  find  how  little  there  is  to  support  the  notion  that  the  Dead 
Sea  was  formed  by  the  catastrophe  that  swallowed  up  those 
two  cities,  and  that  their  ruins  are  submerged  beneath  its 
waters. 


406  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

We  could  survey  almost  the  entire  length  of  the  Dead  Sea 
from  the  shore,  but  obtained  still  better  views  from  the  sum- 
mits of  the  mountains.  It  is  about  forty-six  miles  long, 
and  a  little  over  ten  miles  wide.  It  is  now  known  that  the 
level  of  the  Dead  Sea  is  1,293  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
Mediterranean,  but  up  to  sixty  years  ago  no  one  knew  that  it 
was  below  it  at  all.  The  Dead  Sea  at  its  greatest  depth  is 
1,310  feet.  Since  Jerusalem  152,494  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  Mediterranean,  that  city,  not  more  than  fifteen  miles  away, 
is  3,787  feet  above  where  we  stood. 

The  credit  of  resolving  most  of  the  doubts  and  difficulties 
and  dissipating  many  of  the  superstitions  formerly  connected 
with  this  abyss  belongs  to  the  United  States,  which  in  1848 
authorized  an  exploring  expedition  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Lynch.  He  conveyed  two  metal  boats  from  Acre  to  the  Sea 
of  Tiberias,  and  in  them  his  party  went  down  the  Jordan,  and 
spent  twenty-two  days  cruising  around  the  Dead  Sea. 

In  his  report  Lieutenant  Lynch  says  that  during  a  storm  the 
heavy  waters,  nearly  a  sixth  heavier  than  that  of  the  ocean, 
"lashed  the  sides  of  his  boats  like  hammers, "  but  the  sub- 
sidence after  the  storm  was  much  more  rapid  than  of  the 
waves  in  other  waters. 

By  the  facts  which  they  established  it  is  easy  to  explain 
most  of  the  peculiarities  which  before  were  perplexing.  As 
the  whole  volume  of  the  water  of  the  Jordan,  estimated  at  six 
million  tons  daily,  is  poured  into  it,  and  the  sea  has  no  outlet, 
the  evaporation  is  extraordinarily  rapid,  and  leaves  the  water 
full  of  mineral  substances,  especially  salt,  which  is  dissolved 
from  the  bank.  About,  a  quarter  of  the  bulk  of  the  sea  con- 
sists of  minerals,  half  being  salt,  which  is  extracted  and  sold  in 
the  markets  of  Jerusalem  and  elsewhere.  The  same  process 
has  been  going  on  for  ages  at  the  Great  Salt  Lake  in  Utah. 

The  ancient  conceit  that  it  is  death  to  swim  in  the  Dead  Sea 
has  been  exploded.  Dr.  Robinson  could  swim  nowhere  else  in 
salt  or  fresh  water,  but  here  found  no  difficulty  in  swimming 
or  floating.  A  more  modern  fancy,  that  it  is  impossible  to  sink 
therein,  has  been  dissipated  by  the  experience  of  many  travelers. 
Professor  Henry  M.  Harman,  a  man  of  gigantic  proportions, 
states  in  his  Egypt  and  the  Holy  Land  that  he  found  no  difficulty 


DEAD  SEA,  JORDAN,  JERICHO,  AND  BETHANY.         409 

in  sinking.  Travelers  often  bathe  in  the  Dead  Sea,  and  Dr. 
Bancroft  imitated  the  Mohammedan  custom  of  washing  his 
feet  in  its  waters,  but  I  was  content  to  immerse  my  hands. 
The  water  left  a  peculiarly  oily  feeling.  It  is  not  true  that 
the  Dead  Sea  is  the  saltest  water  in  the  world.  According  to 
the  scale  given  by  Stanley,  the  purest  of  all  water  is  rain 
water;  then  fresh- water  lakes,  the  Baltic  Sea,  Sea  of  Azov;  then 
the  ocean,  then  the  Mediterranean,  then  the  Caspian  and  Aral, 
then  the  Dead  Sea,  and  last  the  Lakes  of  Elton  and  Urumia. 

The  Dead  Sea  contains  neither  shells  nor  coral,  and  fish 
placed  in  it  soon  die,  though  it  is  alleged  that  some  inferior  or- 
ganizations can  be  found.  The  representation  that  birds  die 
if  they  attempt  to  fly  over  it  is  incorrect.  Snipe,  partridges, 
ducks,  and  nightingales  live  along  its  shores.  The  sides  of 
the  basin  being  perpendicular,  the  heat  of  the  sun  is  almost 
unendurable,  and  there  are  few  flowers  or  trees. 

The  wildness  of  the  region,  the  desolation  of  the  shores, 
the  greenish  hue  of  the  water  contrasting  with  the  blue  of  the 
more  distant  prospect,  made  a  picture  in  viewing  which  one 
might  easily  oscillate  between  sensations  of  loneliness  and 
misery  and  of  brightness  and  beauty.  Isolate  the  sea  from 
its  gloomy  surroundings  and  it  would  rival  the  most  beautiful 
lake  in  the  world.  The  silver  sheen  in  the  morning  light  as 
we  had  seen  it  for  hours  in  our  early  ride  from  the  convent  was 
transformed  in  the  middle  of  the  day  into  burnished  gold;  but, 
because  of  their  peculiar  juxtaposition,  not  the  slightest  reflec- 
tion from  the  surrounding  mountains  was  depicted  upon  the 
waters. 

Along  the  shores  are  numerous  pillars  of  salt;  in  fact,  they 
are  continually  forming  in  different  grotesque  shapes.  Lieuten- 
ant Lynch  says:  "Everything  stated  in  the  Bible  about  the 
Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan  we  believe  to  be  fully  verified  by  our 
observations.  The  inference  from  the  Bible,  that  this  entire 
chasm  was  a  plain,  sunk  and  overwhelmed  by  the  wrath  of  God, 
seems  to  be  sustained  by  the  extraordinary  character  of  our 
soundings.  The  bottom  of  the  sea  consists  of  two  submerged 
plains,  an  elevated  and  a  depressed  one;  the  former  thirteen 
and  the  latter  thirteen  hundred  feet  below  the  surface."  I 
also  believe  all  that  the  Bible  affirms  concerning  the  destruc- 


4io  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

tion  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah;  but  know  of  no  passage  which 
either  asserts  or  intimates  that  the  Dead  Sea  was  formed  by 
the  catastrophe  which  overwhelmed  the  Cities  of  the  Plain. 
The  probable  and  generally  accepted  hypothesis  is  that  these 
cities  stood  in  the  plain  of  the  Jordan,  on  the  north  of  the  Dead 
Sea;  that  the  valley  is  a  part  of  a  prehistoric  upheaval  and 
depression  ;  and  that  the  sea  and  the  Jordan  are  what  they 
were  when  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  world  gazed  upon 
them. 

Having  remained  on  the  shore,  listening  to  the  reminiscen- 
ces of  Moses  and  endeavoring  to  identify  the  mountains, 
until  sufficiently  rested,  we  remounted  and  began  a  fatiguing 
journey  across  the  plains  to  the  Jordan.  The  mounds  and 
little  hills  for  a  considerable  distance  from  the  water,  in- 
crusted  with  pure  salt,  are  white  and  dazzling.  The  river 
was  easily  identified  by  the  foliage  along  its  shores,  illustrating 
many  biblical  references.  A  grove  of  trees  was  pointed  out  by 
Moses  as  a  famous  bathing  place  for  pilgrims.  We  could  perceive 
the  reason  for  the  scriptural  figure,  the  "swellings  of  Jordan," 
for  the  current  is  so  rapid  as  to  make  it  dangerous  to  bathe  or 
attempt  to  swim.  Many  have  there  been  drowned  as  a  result 
of  recklessness,  among  them  the  brother  of  a  distinguished 
American  college  president,  then  a  young  man  of  twenty-one, 
who,  disregarding  caution,  leaped  into  the  river. 

The  feet  of  pilgrims  have  worn  numerous  paths,  and  the  scene 
was  suggestive  of  striking  incidents  in  Bible  history.  In  this 
vicinity  Lot  saw  the  plain  of  the  Jordan,  and  it  was  even  as 
a  garden  of  the  Lord.  Near  here  is  probably  the  spot  where 
the  children  of  Israel,  after  their  forty  years'  wanderings, 
came  across  dry-shod,  "right  over  against  Jordan."  Nor 
was  it  far  away  that  Elijah  took  his  mantle,  wrapped  it 
together,  and  smote  the  waters,  so  that  he  and  Elisha  went 
over  on  dry  ground.  It  was  in  this  wilderness  that  John 
the  Baptist  preached,  and  to  him  went  out  great  multitudes, 
as  he  cried,  "Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at 
hand."  Here  he  baptized  them  in  the  Jordan,  they  con- 
fessing their  sins.  Here,  too,  our  Lord  was  baptized  of 
John.  There  is  a  concurrence  of  traditions  locating  most  of 
these  events  in  the  immediate  neighborhood. 


DEAD  SEA,  JORDAN,  JERICHO,  AND  BETHANY.         413 

A  lofty  and  precipitous  hill,  which  we  saw  for  hours  as  we 
journeyed,  has  for  eight  centuries  been  celebrated  as  the  scene 
of  Christ's  temptation  and  forty  days'  fast.  We  did  not  climb 
it,  but  could  almost  discern  the  caverns  and  hermitages.  It 
was  peculiarly  adapted  to  anchorites,  and  from  early  ages  they 
resorted  thither,  dwelling  in  solitude  and  imitating  their  Lord, 
without  the  reason  for  it  that  he  had.  Incredible  stories  are 
told  of  impossible  fasts  and  almost  miraculous  longevity. 

Thousands  of  Greek  Christians  resort  to  a  certain  place  and 
bathe  in  the  river,  while  the  Latins  go  farther  to  the  south.  We 
bathed  our  feet  in  the  Jordan,  and  refreshed  ourselves  under 
the  shade  of  the  oleanders  and  other  flowering  bushes  and 
trees;  after  luncheon,  beginning  the  journey  to  Jericho,  mak- 
ing our  way  across  the  plain  to  the  modern  town  of  Reha. 
This  is  the  site  of  ancient  Gilgal  and  modern  Jericho. 

Here  the  Israelites  pitched  their  camp,  set  up  the  twelve 
stones,  and  celebrated  their  first  passover  in  the  Promised 
Land;  and  here  were  circumcised  the  children  born  in  the 
wilderness;  Saul  was  made  king,  and  Elisha  received  Naaman 
the  Syrian. 

The  village  is  a  wretched  place,  full  of  thieves  and  vermin,  and 
infamous  for  all  kinds  of  iniquities.  There  is  nothing  left  of 
ancient  Jericho.  We  spent  the  night  in  a  decent  hotel,  re- 
cently erected,  resembling  the  ordinary  two-story  frame  build- 
ings in  this  country. 

At  sunset  the  landscape  was  magnificent ;  the  waste  of 
mountains  over  which  we  had  traveled,  the  Dead  Sea,  the 
plain,  and  the  range  of  mountains  beyond  us,  being  gloriously 
illuminated. 

From  Jericho  we  began  the  journey  to  Jerusalem,  a  route 
famous  many  years  ago  for  difficulty  and  danger;  but  a 
Wallachian  princess,  having  met  with  an  accident,  gave  a 
thousand  pounds  for  the  making  of  a  new  road,  that  the 
pilgrims  from  her  country  might  not  fall  over  the  precipices. 
Therefore  the  road  is  now  perfectly  safe  for  pedestrians  and 
for  horses.  Carriages,  however,  of  the  usual  sort,  could  not 
traverse  it,  though  we  saw  a  queer-shaped  vehicle  dragged 
slowly  along.  Even  this  could  not  have  been  done  by  any 
temporary  expedient  until  these  changes  were  made. 


414  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

We  rode  for  two  or  three  hours,  meeting  tourists  going  from 
Jerusalem,  and  falling  in  with  several  hundreds  of  Russian  pil- 
grims who  had  been  down  to  bathe  in  the  Jordan,  and  were 
toiling  back  to  the  sacred  city.  They  were  dressed  in  the 
extremely  hot  and  uncomfortable  attire  of  Russia,  and  were 
frequently  overcome  by  the  heat  so  as  to  fall  upon  the  ground 
and  breathe  like  panting  animals.  At  the  khan  where  we 
took  dinner  they  were  lying  about  like  hod  carriers,  at  the 
rest  hour,  on  the  hottest  days  of  summer. 

We  passed  another  old  khan  which  is  the  traditional  scene 
of  the  parable  of  the  good  Samaritan. 

Bethany  is  one  of  the  points  universally  accepted.  Its 
name — House  of  Poverty — is  supposed  to  have  been  derived 
from  its  situation  on  the  borders  of  the  desert,  though  some 
claim  that  lepers  formerly  dwelt  there.  It  was  at  Bethany 
that  Simon  the  leper  lived,  in  whose  house  the  contents  of  the 
alabaster  box  were  poured  upon  the  head  of  the  Saviour;  and 
there  resided  Mary  and  Martha.  The  modern  Arabic  name  of 
the  place  is  derived  from  Lazarus.  There  are  only  forty  or 
fifty  miserable  houses,  and  the  inhabitants  are  Mohammedans. 
The  place  is  picturesque  because  of  the  number  of  olive, 
mango,  and  fig  trees  interspersed  among  the  buildings.  The 
Tomb  of  Lazarus  attracts  the  attention  of  visitors,  and  some 
recent  travelers  have  been  convinced  that  this  is  the  genuine 
tomb.  I  did  not  see  anything  to  suggest  even  presumption 
that  it  was  the  original  place  of  burial  of  one  who  lived  and 
died  more  than  a  thousand  years  ago. 

But  this  is  certain,  that  Christ  must  "have  come  up  from 
Jericho  by  this  route." 

Having  again  enjoyed  the  view  from  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
we  descended  its  long  slope  to  the  valley  of  the  Kidron,  and 
on  Saturday  entered  the  city  by  St.  Stephen's  Gate.  Moses 
acted  strangely  as  we  drew  near  the  gate,  and  at  last  dis- 
mounted and  asked  us  if  we  would  have  the  kindness  to  lead 
his  horse  into  the  city.  On  asking  the  reason,  he  answered: 
"1  am  a  Jew.  For  me  to  be  seen  entering  on  this  day  with  a 
party  of  travelers  would  affect  my  standing  among  my  people." 
To  gratify  him  we  led  his  horse  into  the  city,  while  he,  with 
an  air  of  demure  piety,  entered  on  foot.  To  do  this  did  not 


;  , 


DEAD  SEA,  JORDAN,  JERICHO,  AND  BETHANY.        417 

disturb  him,  but  to  have  others  know  that  he  did  so — he  was 
too  "conscientious  "  for  that. 

The  only  point  of  importance  in  ancient  Jerusalem  not  yet 
described  is  the  Tower  of  David.  It  consists  of  five  towers, 
formerly  surrounded  by  a  moat,  and  forms  part  of  the  citadel. 
Owing  to  its  position  it  affords  a  comprehensive  view.  Mr. 
Oilman,  the  United  States  consul,  thinks  that  the  foundation 
was  laid  by  the  Jebusites,  and  that  after  David  stormed  the 
fortress  he  erected  this  tower.  The  ancient  foundation,  which 
rises  to  a  height  of  thirty-nine  feet,  consists  of  stones  of  such 
size  as  to  remind  one  of  the  Pyramids.  In  the  various  sieges 
to  which  Jerusalem  has  been  exposed,  the  upper  parts  have 
often  been  destroyed  and  rebuilt. 

Turkish  soldiers  were  upon  guard,  and  we  were  detained  a 
considerable  time  before  even  the  consul  of  the  United  States 
could  secure  admission  to  such  points  as  he  thought  it  desira- 
ble to  show  us.  But  the  obstacles  were  finally  overcome;  we 
ascended  to  the  summit,  visited  the  interior  of  the  citadel,  and 
saw  many  evidences  of  the  antiquity  of  the  remains.  If  it 
were  built  by  David,  or  even  by  Herod,  of  course  it  might 
have  been  standing  when  Christ  was  in  Jerusalem. 

Along  the  east  side  is  Zion  Street,  which  conducts  us  to 
Zion  Gate  on  the  apex  of  the  ridge  of  Zion.  Unquestionably 
we  are  now  where  David  built  his  house,  and  where  the  tent 
was  pitched  for  the  Ark  of  God.  Close  by  the  gate  is  a  build- 
ing known  as  the  Palace  of  Caiaphas,  now  a  cemetery  for 
Armenian  patriarchs.  Here  tradition  becomes  ludicrous. 
They  pretend  to  show  the  pillar  on  which  the  cock  crew  to 
warn  Peter!  That  the  tomb  of  David  is  near,  there  can  be 
no  reasonable  doubt.  Nehemiah  says  that  the  sepulcher  of 
David  was  opposite  a  pool;  and  the  supposed  tomb  of  David 
stands  opposite  the  Pool  of  Gihon.  Peter  says:  "  Men  and 
brethren,  let  me  freely  speak  unto  you  of  the  patriarch  David, 
that  he  is  both  dead  and  buried,  and  his  sepulcher  is  with  us 
unto  this  day."  Josephus  also  refers  to  it.  Mohammedans 
and  earlier  Christians  unite  with  the  Jews  in  regarding  the 
spot  as  identified;  but  though  the  tomb  of  David  must  have 
been  in  this  vicinity,  in  regard  to  its  exact  site  there  is  much 
ground  for  dispute. 


4i8  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER   L. 
Peculiarities  of   Modern  Palestine. 

Jews — Greek  Church — Visit  to  the  Patriarch — Russian  Church  and  Pilgrims 
— Armenians — Copts — Abyssinians — Roman  Catholics — Protestants — Places 
of  Amusement — Society — Sect  of  the  "German  Temple" — Lunatics — The 
"American  Colony" — Lepers  and  Leprosy. 

MODERN  Jerusalem  is  a  study  in  human  nature.  There  the 
Jews  make  an  unfavorable  impression.  With  due  allowance 
for  a  minority  there  for  business  purposes  or  from  religious 
considerations,  they  are  filthy,  superstitious,  and  fanatical, 
many  being  practically  paupers.  In  the  Polish  synagogue  I 
saw  ancient  men  at  their  early  service.  Their  howlings  were 
dissonant;  hair  and  beards  unkempt;  skin  clammy  and  cadav- 
erous. In  the  intervals  of  reading  they  took  snuff,  exhibiting 
large  capacity,  the  result  of  decades  of  assiduous  practice;  but 
failing  to  absorb  all,  their  hideous  aspect  was  even  more  de- 
filed. This  was  the  lowest  point,  as  respects  worship,  which  I 
touched.  Matters  are  better  in  some  of  the  synagogues. 
Thousands,  many  of  them  being  sent  by  charity,  have  come  to 
Jerusalem  solely  to  die  in  the  Holy  Land.  An  excellent  sys- 
tem has  been  devised  for  taking  care  of  them.  So  soon  as  a 
Jew  arrives  he  is  registered  in  the  synagogues  of  his  own 
nationality,  and  funds  are  collected  throughout  the  world  for 
the  support  of  these  poor  Jews.  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  con- 
structed a  system  of  tenement  houses,  which  are  rented  at 
low  rates  to  Jews;  and  the  Rothschilds  have  built  hospitals 
for  them. 

How  much  importance  is  to  be  attached  to  the  supposed 
rapid  return  of  the  Jews  to  Palestine?  Those  whose  views  of 
Scripture  prophecy  lead  them  to  believe  that  the  Holy  Land 
will  finally  be  occupied  exclusively  by  Jews  find  encourage- 
ment in  this  tendency.  But  my  inquiries  led  me  to  think  that, 
in  view  of  the  character  of  the  Jews  migrating  thither,  nothing 
of  significance  is  indicated. 


PECULIARITIES  OF  MODERN  PALESTINE.  419 

The  Greek  Church  is  the  most  powerful  body  of  Christians 
in  Syria.  They  have  many  churches,  schools,  monasteries, 
and  other  institutions.  The  convents  of  St.  Theodore,  St. 
Spiridon,  St.  Michael,  St.  Katharine,  Caralombos,  John  the 
Baptist,  Demetrius,  St.  Nicholas,  and  Spirito,  will  accommo- 
date three  thousand  pilgrims;  several  five  hundred  each,  and 
the  rest  from  fifty  to  three  hundred.  I  visited  two  of  these: 
no  one  need  starve,  and  pilgrims  are  not  fastidious. 

Dr.  Bancroft  and  I  called  upon  the  patriarch,  who  is  of  im- 
posing presence  and  received  us  with  honor;  Father  Steph- 
anos, who  formerly  lived  in  the  United  States  and  speaks 
English  well,  acting  as  interpreter.  It  was  impossible  to 
make  the  patriarch  realize  that  Dr.  Bancroft  is  only  a  distant 
relative  of  the  historian  George  Bancroft,  with  whom  he  was 
determined  to  confound  him.  The  conversation  was  formal; 
the  tones  of  the  patriarch  as  deep  and  heavy  as  the  pedal 
notes  of  an  organ,  and  his  utterance  correspondingly  slow. 

Large  sums  of  money  have  been  expended  within  a  few 
years  by  the  Russian  government  for  the  Russo-Greek  Church 
in  Jerusalem  and  other  parts  of  Syria.  Outside  the  wall  is  an 
elaborate  system  of  buildings  and  a  fine  church.  How  many 
thousand  pilgrims  could  be  accommodated  there  I  could  not 
ascertain;  but  I  attended  service  in  their  church  on  my  last 
Sabbath  in  the  city. 

The  Russian  pilgrims,  in  outward  demonstration,  are  de- 
vout; and  their  natural  expression  being  as  stolid  as  that  of  a 
bronze  statue,  the  effect  is  intensified.  So  liberal  are  they,  and 
so  many  taxes  does  the  Church  put  upon  them,  that,  if  not  re- 
strained, they  would  give  away  all  the  money  they  have,  and  be 
unable  to  get  back  to  Russia.  On  arriving  they  report  to  the 
Russian  consul,  who  takes  away  from  them  enough  money  to 
pay  their  expenses  home.  When  their  pilgrimage  is  over 
usually  they  have  nothing  but  that  on  which  to  depend. 

I  visited  the  Armenian  monastery  behind  the  Tower  of  David, 
near  the  Zion  Gate.  It  is  a  large  institution  in  which  live 
several  hundred  monks  and  brethren,  and  which  can  entertain 
twelve  hundred  pilgrims.  The  patriarch  resides  in  the  monas- 
tery. We  caught  a  glimpse  of  him  passing  through  one  of  the 
chapels.  Priests  can  be  distinguished  from  the  Greeks  by 


420  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

long  pointed  hoods,  the  others  wearing  round  caps,  not  dis- 
similar to  the  traveling  caps  used  in  this  country,  but  higher  in 
the  crown. 

The  old  Armenian  Church  has  a  character  peculiar  to  itself; 
standing  midway  between  the  Greek  and  Latin  Churches,  but 
maintaining  its  independent  position  ever  since  the  sixth  cen- 
tury, when  it  practically  cut  itself  off  from  Rome.  Armenian 
ecclesiastics  are  a  fine-tempered,  dignified,  exceedingly  gentle- 
manly body  of  men,  with  little  of  the  stoic  in  their  compo- 
sitions, or  natural  inclination  to  monkish  forms.  The  services 
are  conducted  with  dignity  and  splendor,  though  the  musical 
part  is  not  equal  to  that  of  the  Russian  Church. 

The  Copts  have  a  monastery  and  chapels,  and  jurisdiction 
over  a  part  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  where  two 
Coptic  priests  are  continually  shut  in  to  conduct  services 
night  and  day. 

The  Abyssinians  have  a  monastery  near  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulcher,  but,  not  satisfied  with  their  treatment  and 
position,  for  several  years  they  have  been  erecting  a  church 
behind  the  Russian  establishments,  and  outside  the  wall.  It 
occupies  an  imposing  position. 

I  had  noticed  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher  a  digni- 
fied-looking priest  performing  his  devotions.  He  was  so 
dark  that  I  made  inquiry  concerning  his  nativity,  and  found 
that  he  was  an  Abyssinian.  On  a  visit  to  the  new  edifices  I 
met  him  coming  out  of  the  dormitory,  and  induced  him  by 
signs  to  show  me  about  the  buildings,  not  dreaming  that  he 
was  the  head  of  the  establishment.  When  I  informed  Dr. 
Bancroft  of  the  visit  he  proposed  another.  This  time  we  were 
accompanied  by  an  interpreter,  and  I  had  an  interesting  con- 
versation with  the  representative  of,  perhaps,  the  most  pecu- 
liar form  of  Christianity  in  the  world. 

The  Abyssinians  are  but  a  half-civilized  people.  When  we 
had  entered  Nubia  we  were  separated  from  their  country  by  but 
a  comparatively  short  journey.  Accounts  of  Abyssinian  Chris- 
tianity by  travelers  represent  it  as  intolerant,  and  formal  to  an 
astonishing  degree. 

They  are  required  to  fast  even  oftener  than  the  Greeks,  the 
number  of  regular  days  being  more  than  two  out  of  three  in 


PECULIARITIES  OF  MODERN  PALESTINE.  421 

the  whole  year,  besides  special  fasts,  and  they  have  to  abstain 
from  drink  as  well  as  food,  but  have  plenty  of  feasts.  Cere- 
monies on  funeral  occasions  and  marriages  are  barbarous. 

The  ecclesiastical  connection  is  with  the  Copts  of  Egypt, 
the  chief  hierarch  being  elected  at  Alexandria.  They  call 
him  an  Abuna;  next  in  importance  are  bishops;  then  the 
Alaka,  who  takes  care  of  the  money;  and  finally  priests  and 
deacons.  Their  services  are  so  elaborate  that  it  requires 
twenty  priests  and  deacons  for  one  church.  The  head  priest 
told  me  that  the  war  between  Abyssinia  and  Italy  prevented 
their  getting  funds,  and  in  consequence  of  this  they  cannot 
complete  the  building,  and  suffer  many  privations.  They 
seemed  devout,  and  the  one  with  whom  we  talked  was  very 
gentlemanly. 

Before  leaving  we  drank  with  him  a  glass  of  sherbet,  a 
sweet,  unintoxicating  fluid,  resembling  raspberry  syrup. 
Coffee  also  was  served.  An  exciting  incident  of  the  conver- 
sation was  his  account  of  being  captured  a  few  years  before, 
while  endeavoring  to  reach  Abyssinia,  to  make  a  statement  to 
the  king  of  the  progress  of  the  enterprise.  The  interpreter, 
who  had  often  heard  the  Abyssinians  perform,  and  who  was  a 
Catholic,  declared  that  they  were  a  barbarous  people,  and 
would  strike  the  floor  with  their  staves,  and  howl  at  certain 
parts  of  the  service. 

Roman  Catholics  are  increasing  in  Jerusalem,  but  are  infe- 
rior in  numbers  and  power  either  to  the  orthodox  Greeks  or 
the  Russians.  The  Franciscan  monastery  occupies  a  command- 
ing situation,  and  the  services  conducted  by  the  Latins  are 
performed  with  more  than  their  usual  attention  to  details.  The 
absence  of  any  one  government  disposed  to  appropriate  large 
funds  to  maintain  the  honor  of  the  Church  in  Jerusalem  ac- 
counts for  their  inferior  position.  It  is  an  occasion  for  won- 
der that  the  Vatican,  with  its  immense  receipts,  does  not  pay 
more  attention  to  Jerusalem. 

Protestantism  is  doing  little  in  the  city,  though  it  is  the  seat 
of  a  bishopric.  Theoretically  this  bishopric  is  supported  half 
by  Prussia  and  half  by  England.  There  have  been  three  in- 
cumbents: Bishop  Alexander,  Bishop  Gobat,  and  the  present 
Bishop  Blythe.  We  were  introduced  to  Bishop  Blythe  by  our 


422  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

consul,  who  attended  his  services,  and  learned  that  it  is  a 
bishopric  of  no  special  importance. 

Christ  Church,  nearly  opposite  the  Tower  of  David,  on 
Mount  Zion,  is  a  fine  building.  There  are  various  schools 
supported  by  the  mission,  one  in  which  the  services  are  en- 
tirely in  Arabic.  The  funds  of  the  mission  have  much  to  do 
with  supporting  the  outward  show  of  work.  The  Germans 
sustain  several  orphanages  and  a  fine  hospital  under  the  charge 
of  the  deaconesses  of  Kaiserswerth,  similar  to  that  already  de- 
scribed. 

There  appear  to  be  in  the  holy  city  very  few  places  of 
amusement,  of  the  kind  ordinarily  found.  Society  is  divided 
into  cliques.  Some  of  the  missions  are  battlefields;  charges 
are  bandied  about  against  members,  and  scandal  is  afloat.  Of 
course,  in  a  general  statement  of  this  kind,  allowance  must  be 
made  for  exceptions.  There,  as  everywhere,  scandal  makes 
notoriety,  while  private  virtue  is  unnoticed:  yet  the  conver- 
sations I  had  led  me  to  think  that  there  is  more  backbiting 
and  retailing  of  personal  gossip  among  the  foreign  residents  of 
Jerusalem  than  in  any  other  city  of  its  size. 

One  of  the  Protestant  colonies  is  near  Jaffa.  It  is  twenty- 
three  years  old,  founded  by  the  Wurtemberg  sect  of  the  "Ger- 
man Temple."  They  hold  a  peculiar  doctrine,  based  on  the 
prophecies,  that  Christians  are  obliged  to  settle  in  Palestine. 

In  1866  an  American  colony,  led  by  one  Adams,  settled 
there.  The  majority  were  sincere  Christians,  deceived  and 
swindled  by  fanatical  leaders  and  their  dishonest  employees. 
Their  hardships  were  equal  to  those  endured  by  the  early 
settlers  of  Massachusetts,  and  incredible  sufferings,  followed 
by  many  deaths,  occurred.  When  the  Quaker  City  visited 
Jaffa,  it  benevolently  took  away  the  starving  people  to  Egypt, 
whence  they  were  helped  back  to  America.  Rollo  Floyd,  the 
guide,  is  one  of  the  survivors. 

Lunatics  come  to  Jerusalem  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  One 
was  in  the  habit  for  years  of  walking  about  carrying  a  heavy 
cross.  A  woman  came  with  the  revelation  that  Christ  was  to 
descend  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  she  was  to  make  the  first 
cup  of  tea  for  him;  several  times  she  ascended  the  mount  for 
the  purpose.  Her  lunacy  now  is  of  a  mild  form. 


PECULIARITIES  OF  MODERN  PALESTINE.  425 

A  conspicuous  household  of  an  eccentric  character  now  ex- 
isting in  Palestine  is  known  as  the  American  colony.  It  con- 
sists of  a  number  of  persons,  chiefly  from  Chicago,  who  went 
there  some  years  ago,  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Spofford 
and  his  wife.  We  spent  a  Sabbath  evening  at  their  residence, 
listening  to  their  singing,  and  conversing  with  them  concern- 
ing their  principles.  From  some  points  of  view  they  make  an 
excellent  impression,  being  active  in  benevolent  work,  self-de- 
nying, sweet  in  spirit,  and  having  unusual  facility  for  securing 
the  affections  of  their  beneficiaries. 

Their  singing  is  charming,  their  spirit  devout  and  trustful, 
and  their  bearing  toward  each  other  not  such  as  to  suggest 
anything  evil;  but  it  requires  only  a  fair  measure  of  discernment 
to  see  that  a  dangerous  fanaticism  lies  beneath  the  attractive  sur- 
face, which  will  make  impossible  the  permanent  success  of  the 
colony  and  prevent  the  fulfillment  of  the  enthusiastic  hopes 
which  originally  inspired  it.  They  act  upon  the  faith  cure, 
anti-medicine  theory,  and  the  number  of  deaths  since  the 
colony  was  founded  is  considerably  in  excess  of  the  average 
number  of  persons  dying  of  the  same  age  in  an  ordinary 
society.  They  eschew  matrimony,  and  are  theoretically  Shak- 
ers. They  also  profess  to  be  guided  in  all  particulars  by 
direct  revelation  from  God.  Financially  they  have  been  in 
difficulty  so  often  that  only  the  interposition  of  the  American 
consuls  has  prevented  their  being  dispossessed;  but  they  claim 
to  have  property  enough  in  the  United  States  to  pay  all  bills, 
which  property  they  allege  is  kept  back  by  relatives  on  the 
ground  that  they  are  insane.  Some  who  have  recently  joined 
the  society  obviously  dwell  in  the  borderland  between  sanity 
and  mental  aberration. 

I  am  glad  that  Jerusalem  is  under  the  control  of  the  Turks 
rather  than  that  of  the  Jews,  or  of  the  Greek  or  Latin  Chris- 
tians. The  Jews  would  care  little  for  Christian  antiquities,  the 
Greeks  and  Latins  would  be  exclusive,  the  Mohammedans  are 
impartial,  and  their  forces  often  needed  to  suppress  disturb- 
ances between  rival  sects  of  degenerate  Christians  in  the  very 
precincts  of  the  sacred  places.  I  went  away  thinking  more  of 
the  new  than  of  the  old  Jerusalem,  but  abundantly  repaid  for 

the  visit. 
22 


426  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Jerusalem  lepers  are  almost  ubiquitous  on  account  of  their 
habit  of  sitting  by  gates  and  in  thoroughfares  begging.  Their 
horrible  aspect  fortunately  defies  description,  while  the  piercing 
cry,  "Leprous!  leprous!!  leprous!!!"  must  echo  for  months 
in  the  memory  of  every  traveler.  Some  are  blind,  and  with 
their  faces  upturned  toward  the  sun,  the  last  vestige  of  the 
eye  gone,  arms,  hands,  and  necks  covered  with  hideous  sores, 
they  excite  pity  mingled  with  disgust. 

Hospitals  have  been  built,  but  they  will  not  stay  in  them  if 
they  can  avoid  it,  preferring  to  beg  and  to  enjoy  the  liberty  of 
travel  and  domestic  life.  Different  views  have  been  held  as  to 
whether  modern  leprosy  is  identical  with  that  described  in  the 
Bible. 

An  attack  of  modern  leprosy  is  preceded  for  some  months 
by  languor,  chills,  shivering,  and  irregular  attacks  of  fever. 
The  spots  upon  the  skin,  generally  the  first  visible  symptoms, 
are  reddish  and  rapidly  pushed  outward  by  dark  lumps,  which 
in  time  form  clusters  "resembling  bunches  of  grapes."  This 
is  followed  by  general  deterioration  of  the  tissues.  Sight, 
hearing,  and  speech  are  interfered  with,  and  last  of  all  come 
dreadful  festering  sores.  These  from  time  to  time  heal  and 
appear  elsewhere.  There  is  another  sort  called  "smooth  lep- 
rosy," in  which  the  patches  are  inflamed,  but  do  not  swell. 
Such  is  the  vital  tenacity,  however,  that  many  of  these 
horrible  cases  linger  on  from  ten  to  twenty-five  years.  The 
disease  is  generally  hereditary,  and  the  children  of  lepers  are 
usually  attacked  by  it;  yet  I  visited  a  quarter  where  they  live 
together  and  marry,  and  are  thus  perpetuating  this  frightful 
scourge. 

The  disease  is  spreading  throughout  the  world,  and  English 
magazines  have  of  late  been  considering  it.  Sir  Morell 
Mackenzie  had  an  article  in  the  Nineteenth  Century  on  the 
"  Dreadful  Revival  of  Leprosy."  The  New  York  Academy  of 
Medicine  discussed  the  subject,  and  a  distinguished  phy- 
sician and  traveler  gave  an  account  of  what  he  had  seen  in 
various  parts  of  this  continent  and  in  the  Sandwich  Islands. 
He  considers  that  there  are  millions  of  lepers;  shows  how  the 
Chinese  took  the  disease  into  the  Sandwich  Islands  about  forty 
years  ago,  and  declares  that  some  also  carried  it  to  Australia 


PECULIARITIES  OF  MODERN  PALESTINE.  427 

and  California.     According  to  an  official  report  there  are  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  thousand  lepers  in  India. 

About  twenty-five  years  ago  the  London  College  of  Phy- 
sicians decided  that  the  disease  is  not  contagious,  and  not 
necessarily  hereditary;  but  Sir  Morell  Mackenzie  denies  both 
propositions,  as  do  other  eminent  authorities,  all  of  whom 
appear  to  agree  in  thinking  it  incurable. 


428  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  LI. 
Leaving  Jerusalem. 

Description  of  the  Caravan — Shafut — Ramallah — El-Bireh — Bethel — Ai — A 
Slave  Lost — Robbers'  Glen — Caravan  of  Camels — A  Night  of  Storm  and 
Terror  at  Sinjil. 

THE  time  had  now  come  to  depart  from  Jerusalem.  We 
designed  to  visit  every  sacred  spot  in  the  manner  best  adapted 
to  allow  close  examination,  vivid  impression,  and  the  greatest 
amount  of  familiarity  with  the  people  and  country.  Our 
preparations  took  some  days.  The  first  essential  was  a  drag- 
oman, who  selected  a  cook  with  one  or  two  assistants,  a 
waiter,  a  muleteer,  and  several  subordinates;  six  mules  and 
four  horses.  Our  tent  was  large,  supplied  with  iron  bed- 
steads, good  mattresses,  a  table,  washbasin,  Persian  rugs, 
and  a  partition  which  transformed  the  front  part  into  a  dining 
room  and  parlor.  There  were  other  tents  for  the  men.  The 
tents  with  their  poles  and  cords,  stove,  fuel,  food,  furniture, 
bedsteads,  etc.,  had  to  be  carried  upon  mules. 

Our  dragoman,  Selim,  who  proved  to  be  guide,  philosopher, 
and  friend,  was  the  supreme  authority.  The  time  for  breakfast 
was  fixed  each  night  on  retiring,  and  half  an  hour  before  it  was 
ready  we  were  aroused.  Before  we  had  finished  dressing,  break- 
fast was  announced,  the  men  began  to  take  down  all  the  tents 
but  our  own,  and  while  the  cook,  his  helper,  and  the  waiter  were 
washing  the  dishes,  everything  else  was  made  ready  for  an 
early  start.  Luncheon  was  put  up,  and  the  dragoman,  ac- 
companied by  one  man  and  a  mule,  went  with  us  on  our 
various  tours  of  exploration,  while  the  rest  of  the  caravan 
went  by  the  directest  route  to  the  spot  agreed  upon  for  the 
camp.  We  usually  rested  from  one  to  two  hours  at  the  lunch- 
ing place,  and  found — unless  the  journey  for  the  day  was  very 
long — the  tents  pitched  and  dinner  being  prepared  on  arriving 
in  the  evening. 

We  had  been  warned  that  we  were  starting  rather  too  early 


LEAVING  JERUSALEM.  429 

in  the  season,  and  would  be  likely  to  encounter  severe  storms. 
The  "  former  rain  "  of  the  Bible  occurs  late  in  October  and 
early  in  November;  the  "latter  rain"  falls  in  March  and 
April.  But  my  experience  has  not  been  favorable  to  post- 
poning the  starting  on  long  journeys  by  sea  or  land  on  account 
of  weather. 

At  nine  o'clock  on  Monday  morning  our  cavalcade,  nearly  a 
hundred  yards  long,  was  formed;  the  dragoman  riding  at  the 
head,  and  Dr.  Bancroft  and  I  immediately  following.  We 
had  learned  that  three  tourists  had  started  in  advance  of  us, 
without  tents,  having  only  a  dragoman  and  intending  to  lodge 
at  night  at  the  khans  and  convents.  Drops  of  rain  soon  com- 
pelled us  to  cover  ourselves  with  rubber  blankets  and  coats 
procured  in  anticipation  of  a  storm.  While  attempting  to 
make  this  change  the  wind  rose  to  the  proportions  of  a  bliz- 
zard, and  it  was  with  extreme  difficulty  that  we  kept  our  seats. 
Fortunately  the  clouds  were  high,  so  that  the  view  of  Jerusa- 
lem and  the  surrounding  country  was  not  seriously  obscured. 
We  were  now  above  the  city  and  could  clearly  see  its  position 
and  relation  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  to  Bethlehem  and  the 
Jaffa  road,  and  to  other  features  of  the  country. 

The  road  descending  rapidly,  we  saw  Jerusalem  no  more. 
Following  the  caravan  route,  we  rode  due  north,  and  soon 
reached  Shafut,  built  of  fine  old  materials,  the  ruins  of  former 
fortifications  and  houses.  It  is  believed  by  the  best  authori- 
ties to  be  the  ancient  Gibeah,  where  was  committed  the  fright- 
ful crime  that  almost  caused  the  annihilation  of  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin.  It  was  here  that  the  seven  sons  of  Saul  were 
hanged,  and  that  afflicted  Rizpah  sustained  her  unparalleled 
vigil. 

Ancient  villages  and  ruins  of  walls  were  numerous.  In- 
stead of  farmhouses  scattered  over  the  cultivated  plain,  as  in 
the  countries  with  which  we  are  familiar,  insecurity  of  life  and 
property  is  so  great,  on  account  of  wandering  bands  of 
marauders,  that  the  people  dwell,  as  in  former  times,  in 
villages;  and  only  the  houses  of  watchmen  can  be  seen  upon 
the  plains  or  in  the  fields. 

Ramallah,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  road,  is  inhabited 
chiefly  by  Christians.  Both  the  Greeks  and  Latins  have 


430  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

monasteries  there,  where  travelers  can  be  entertained,  and  the 
Protestant  missionaries  keep  a  school. 

We  tarried  first  at  El-Bireh,  identified  with  the  Bible 
Beeroth.  There  has  been  a  tradition  for  some  centuries  that 
this  is  the  spot  where  Joseph  and  Mary,  when  they  were  de- 
parting from  Jerusalem,  first  noticed  that  Jesus  was  not  in 
their  company.  It  is  certain  that  they  were  traveling  by  this 
route. 

Half  an  hour  later  we  reached  Bethel.  The  very  huts  of 
the  people  are  built  out  of  materials  plainly  used  in  edifices 
in  ancient  times.  Sitting  on  the  wall  of  an  old  cistern,  built 
in  a  costly  and  careful  manner,  we  talked  of  the  wonderful 
events  which  had  taken  place  at  Bethel.  Here  Abraham 
reared  his  altar  and  called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord;  here 
Jacob  took  the  stones  for  his  pillow,  lay  down  to  sleep,  and 
saw  the  angels  ascending  and  descending  upon  the  ladder. 
He  changed  the  name  of  the  place  from  Luz  to  Bethel,  "  the 
house  of  God."  Here  Jeroboam  set  up  the  golden  calf,  as 
described  in  the  First  and  Second  Book  of  Kings.  Says  a 
writer:  "Here  or  hereabouts  there  came  forth  two  she  bears 
out  of  the  wood,  and  tare  the  forty  and  two  children  who 
scoffed  at  Elisha."  The  modern  name  of  Bethel  is  Betin. 
Only  about  four  hundred  persons  now  live  there. 

The  pond,  of  which  the  spring  is  in  the  center  inclosed  in  a 
circular  basin,  is  one  hundred  and  five  yards  long  and  seventy- 
two  wide,  the  whole  inclosed  in  solid  masonry.  The  view  of 
the  undulating  valley  was  beautiful,  now  and  then  glorified 
by  rays  of  sunlight  piercing  the  heavy  clouds  which  had  hung 
dark  over  the  mountains  and  plains  all  the  morning. 

Within  sight  of  Bethel  is  Ai,  which  Joshua  besieged  with 
thirty  thousand  mighty  men  of  valor,  but  so  strong  was  the 
place  that  this  force  was  not  able  to  conquer  it  without  the 
use  of  stratagem.  A  shrewd  subterfuge  it  was,  having  been 
intentionally  paralleled  by  several  of  the  greatest  generals  of 
the  world:  "And  Joshua  and  all  Israel  made  as  if  they  were 
beaten  before  them,  and  fled  by  the  way  of  the  wilderness." 
The  inhabitants  of  Ai  rushed  forth  to  pursue,  but  an  ambush 
provided  for  the  emergency  arose  and  entered  the  forsaken 
city. 


LEAVING  JERUSALEM.  431 

For  a  while  after  departing  from  Bethel  the  route  was  toil- 
some, but  like  most  regions  in  Palestine,  amazing  desolation 
leads  by  constant  surprises  to  equally  astonishing  fertility. 
Where  there  is  no  irrigation  the  sun's  fierce  heat  makes  the 
land  but  a  heap  of  ashes;  but  the  same  sun,  with  water  to  cool 
its  parching  rays,  reproduces  the  Garden  of  Eden  in  every 
valley  and  on  every  hill,  where  even  a  thin  covering  of  soil 
affords  a  place  for  the  seed  of  the  sower  or  the  germs  of  life 
carried  by  birds  and  winds.  A  land  of  vineyards  and  or- 
chards was  before  us,  illustrating  the  blessings  pronounced 
upon  Joseph:  "The  precious  things  of  heaven,  for  the  dew, 
and  for  the  deep  that  coucheth  beneath,  and  for  the  precious 
fruits  brought  forth  by  the  sun,  and  for  the  precious  things 
put  forth  by  the  moon,  and  for  the  chief  things  of  the  ancient 
mountains,  and  for  the  precious  things  of  the  lasting  hills,  and 
for  the  precious  things  of  the  earth  and  fullness  thereof." 

A  man,  dressed  in  a  somewhat  distinguished  manner,  and 
mounted  upon  a  horse  finer  than  any  we  had  seen  in  Syria, 
riding  rapidly  across  the  plains  and  over  the  hills,  turning 
aside  to  speak  to  everyone,  attracted  my  attention.  I  said  to 
Selim:  "  What  is  that  man  doing?  Is  he  a  superintendent  of 
the  district,  a  courier  delivering  messages,  or  an  officer  upon  a 
search?"  "I  will  find  out  for  you,"  said  Selim,  and  engaged 
him  in  conversation.  It  was  a  reminder  in  that  far-off  land  of 
what  for  two  centuries  took  place  every  day  in  every  year  in 
the  United  States.  This  man  was  an  owner  of  slaves,  and  a 
valuable  black  woman,  whom  he  had  purchased  from  the 
Soudan,  had  run  away.  She  had  been  gone  half  a  day,  and 
he  was  riding  to  and  fro  offering  every  man  five  pounds  of 
English  money  as  a  reward  if  he  should  bring  her  back. 

Ruins,  of  whose  origin  no  satisfactory  account  can  be 
given,  were  passed  from  time  to  time,  but  nothing  to  dispute 
the  supremacy  of  the  natural  scenery.  The  walls  of  an 
old  castle  and  a  Byzantine  church  stimulated  imagination. 
Olive  plantations  were  numerous,  and  are  always  pleasing. 
The  young  trees  are  beautiful;  the  old,  suggestive  of  hoary 
antiquity,  are  considered  types  of  venerable  age.  Old  men 
sitting  under  olive  trees  seemed  to  unite  two  forms  of  nature 
and  gave  life  to  scores  of  scriptural  symbols. 


432  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

We  descended  into  a  beautiful  glen,  known  as  the  "  Robbers' 
Glen,"  and  proceeded  to  the  "  Robbers'  Spring."  The  water 
is  sweet,  pure,  and  cool,  the  scenery  exquisite,  but  the  place  has 
had  a  bad  reputation  for  hundreds  of  years,  and  has  not  at  all 
improved.  Without  a  large  force  it  would  be  dangerous  to 
encamp  there.  A  magnificent  caravan  of  more  than  sixty 
camels  was  resting  at  the  spring. 

Four  or  five  were  riding  camels,  as  different  in  shape  and 
action  from  ordinary  baggage  camels  as  the  finest  saddle 
horses  are  from  the  slow-moving  truck  horses.  Like  all  their 
race  they  indulged  in  growling,  but  some  had  a  benignant  look, 
and  one  displayed  considerable  affection  for  his  rider,  who 
used  a  code  of  signals  understood  by  himself  and  the  camel. 

At  six  o'clock  we  encamped  on  a  threshing  floor  near  the 
village  of  Sinjil,  and  had  the  first  real  test  of  camping  ac- 
commodations. The  tents  were  set  up  with  rapidity,  our  own 
fulfilling  all  the  conditions  promised,  and  a  dinner  was  served 
in  a  style  to  gratify  appetites  sharpened  by  nearly  ten  hours' 
riding.  But  the  heavens  were  ominous,  and  the  wind  made  the 
cordage  creak  and  snap  like  the  rigging  of  a  ship  in  a  storm. 
Selim  acknowledged  that  the  prospect  was  not  encouraging. 

At  8:30  we  went  to  bed,  taking  the  precaution  to  spread  our 
rubber  blankets  and  waterproofs  within  reach.  At  half  past 
ten  it  began  to  rain,  and  the  night  was  one  of  horror.  An  old 
camper-out  in  the  wilds  of  Maine,  the  Adirondacks,  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  the  Sierra  Nevada,  I  never  experienced  such  a 
night.  The  amount  of  rain  that  fell,  its  violence,  and  the 
tempestuous  manner  in  which  it  beat  upon  and  into  the  tent, 
defy  description.  During  the  few  moments  that  we  lost  con- 
sciousness, dreams  of  shipwreck,  fire,  earthquake,  and  volcanic 
eruptions  terrified  the  mind.  Selim  and  the  muleteers  were 
engaged  in  fastening  down  the  tents  the  greater  part  of  the 
night.  Mud  was  six  inches  deep  upon  the  hillside  and  plain. 
In  the  tent  of  the  muleteers,  a  sticky  mixture  of  water  and 
clay  was  so  thick  that  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  one 
wearing  English  shoes  to  take  a  second  step  without  unshoe- 
ing himself.  It  was  the  longest  night  ever  experienced  by  me 
on  land,  and  I  caution  travelers  through  Palestine,  in  early 
March,  to  go  prepared  for  such  an  experience. 


FROM  SHII.OH  TO  GERIZIM.  433 


CHAPTER  L1I. 
From  Shiloh  to  Gerizim. 

A  Day  in  a  Mohammedan  Village — Children  and  Dogs — A  Mohammedan 
Cemetery — Shiloh— Bible  Events  Connected  with  the  Place — Jacob's  Well 
— Discovery  Made  by  Bishop  Barclay— Climbing  the  "  Mount  of  Blessing  " 
— Formation  of  the  Summit — Ruins  Found  There. 

WHEN  daylight  came  we  found  everything  so  wet  that  it 
was  out  of  the  question  to  dry  the  bedding,  curtains,  and  tents, 
so  as  to  make  it  safe  to  camp  out  the  next  night,  and  it  was 
decided  to  spend  that  day  in  Sinjil,  there  being  prospect  of 
"drying"  weather.  Selim  went  to  the  village,  and  arranged 
with  a  Mohammedan  to  surrender  to  us  his  best  house,  which 
contained  only  one  room.  The  building  was  of  stone, 
plastered,  and  had  a  chimney  and  fireplace.  Our  beds  were 
brought  in  and  plans  made  to  spend  the  day.  This  Moham- 
medan had  several  wives  and  a  corresponding  number  of 
children;  also  several  dogs;  and  the  day,  which  would  other- 
wise have  been  lost,  gave  us  a  rare  opportunity  of  study- 
ing Mohammedan  life.  The  houses  are  crowded  together,  as 
in  Egypt  and  other  Mohammedan  countries.  If  a  man  is 
able,  he  has  half  a  dozen  houses,  in  one  of  which  cooking  is 
done.  In  sleeping,  they  crowd  together  more  like  beasts  than 
human  beings.  Each  little  hut  has  its  dog,  which,  though 
obedient  to  the  owner  and  the  members  of  his  family,  will 
fight  furiously  with  other  dogs,  and  keep  a  jealous  eye  upon 
strangers.  It  was  some  time  before  we  dared  venture  more 
than  a  few  feet  from  the  house,  on  account  of  dogs  perched 
upon  the  tops  of  smaller  buildings,  who  threatened  to  descend 
upon  us,  after  the  manner  of  panthers. 

The  children  were  handsome  and  bright,  and  stared  with 
large,  round  eyes,  as  if  we  had  been  animals  from  a  tempest- 
shattered  menagerie.  We  agreed  to  give  them  no  money 
until  going  away,  lest  the  entire  village  should  besiege  us. 
This  resolution  was  adhered  to  for  a  few  hours,  but  in  an  evil 


434  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

moment  we  yielded,  and  from  that  time  until  our  departure, 
except  during  the  hours  of  sleep,  they  rivaled  the  beggars 
of  Egypt.  We  expected  extortionate  charges  in  addition  to 
what  was  paid  by  the  dragoman  as  a  part  of  his  responsibility, 
but  had  no  particular  cause  to  complain. 

Several  occurrences  during  that  day  and  night  illustrated 
human  nature,  and  I  am  sure  that,  if  the  doctor  and  I  could 
have  spoken  Arabic,  we  would  have  found  as  many  opportu- 
nities for  pleasant  and  instructive  conversation  as  if  over- 
taken by  such  a  storm  in  England,  Germany,  or  any  of  the 
rural  districts  of  the  United  States.  Half  a  dozen  short  ex- 
cursions gave  us  a  good  view  of  the  village. 

Our  start  the  next  morning  was  by  no  means  so  jubilant  a 
proceeding  as  that  of  two  days  before.  The  horses  and  mules 
drooped,  all  the  men  had  colds,  and  Selim,  having  had  but 
little  sleep  either  night,  had  to  summon  philosophy  to  his  aid. 
The  tents  were  not  yet  dry,  everything  smelled  musty,  but 
the  air  was  keen  and  stimulating. 

Passing  by  the  Mohammedan  cemetery  we  heard  loud  lam- 
entations. Beyond  the  wall  we  saw  a  company  of  twelve  or 
fifteen  women  wailing  about  the  grave  of  one  who  had  been 
buried  ten  days.  Each  successive  day,  for  a  certain  period  of 
time,  those  women  assemble  and  mourn.  There  was  little 
music,  but  all  seemed  solemn  and  did  not  cast  a  glance  toward 
the  passers.  The  sound  was  a  monotone,  with  gusts  of  em- 
phasis on  certain  words,  and  peculiar  pauses,  some  rhythmical, 
others  arbitrary.  As  they  sang  they  gently  swayed  forward 
and  backward. 

The  village  of  Seilun  is  upon  the  ground  of  the  Shiloh  of  the 
Bible.  There  is  little  doubt  of  the  authenticity  of  this  site, 
though,  from  the  time  of  St.  Jerome  to  1838,  it  was  lost.  It  is 
described  so  perfectly  in  the  Bible,  that  none  can  question  it. 
A  mass  of  stones,  fragments  of  columns,  and  literally  a  heap 
of  ruins,  with  a  solitary  tree  hanging  over  the  broken  wall,  it 
presents  a  sad  contrast  to  its  former  glory.  Here  Joshua  and 
the  leaders  assembled  to  divide  the  land  among  the  tribes,  and 
here  the  first  tabernacle  was  erected.  It  was  at  this  place  that 
Eli  dwelt.  There  Hannah  visited  her  son  Samuel,  taking  his 
little  coat  every  year.  Here  dwelt  the  ark  of  the  Lord,  and 


FROM  SHILOH  TO  GERIZIM.  435 

thence  it  was  stolen  by  the  Philistines.  There  Ahijah  the 
prophet  lived,  and  it  was  to  that  sacred  place  that  the  wife  of 
Jeroboam  went  to  learn  the  doom  of  her  husband. 

Ascending  to  the  summit  of  a  barren  mountain  we  descended 
into  another  valley,  and  then  rose  to  a  desolate  plateau,  from 
which  we  saw  the  vast  plain  of  Makhnaa  and,  beyond  and  around 
it,  the  mountains  of  Samaria.  On  our  left  was  Gerizim,  with 
Ebal  opposite  to  it,  and  in  the  distant  north  snow-clad  Hermon 
reared  its  massive  head.  A  few  miles  from  this  point  we  came 
to  Jacob's  Well,  upon  which  all  traditions,  whether  of  Jews, 
Samaritans,  Mohammedans,  or  Christians,  agree.  Stanley 
says  that  this  is  the  undisputed  site  of  the  well,  with  every 
claim  to  be  considered  the  original  well  in  which  Jacob,  ac- 
cording to  the  customs  of  Abraham  and  Isaac,  marked  his  first 
possession  by  digging  a  "  well  to  give  drink  thereof  to  himself, 
his  children,  and  his  cattle."  It  is  at  present  a  great  cistern, 
a  shaft  cut  through  the  rock,  about  three  yards  wide,  and 
twenty-four  yards  deep.  From  the  amount  of  rubbish  which 
has  fallen  down  it,  it  is  believed  to  have  been  originally  two  or 
three  times  as  deep  as  it  is  now.  Once  there  was  a  church 
over  it;  this  has  fallen  into  decay,  and  many  of  the  stones 
composing  it  have  tumbled  into  the  well. 

Bishop  Barclay,  in  1881,  made  an  interesting  discovery— 
that  of  the  circular  mouth  of  this  well,  then  blocked  by  a  mass 
of  stone.  Securing  the  aid  of  men,  the  bishop  and  his  wife 
managed  to  clear  it,  and  the  ledge  was  uncovered  on  which 
doubtless  the  Saviour  rested.  The  grooves  were  found  in  the 
stone,  caused  by  the  ropes  with  which  the  waterpots  were 
drawn  up.  Between  1866  and  1881,  the  bottom  of  the  well  had 
risen  eight  feet,  on  account  of  the  debris  therein  accumulated. 
He  who  will  turn  to  the  fourth  chapter  of  John,  will  find  in  a 
few  master  touches,  bearing  equally  the  impress  of  truth,  sim- 
plicity, and  genius,  a  perfect  picture  of  the  country  as  it  now 
is,  and  of  the  well. 

Abraham  had  built  his  first  altar  at  this  spot.  Jacob  died, 
but,  with  an  undying  love,  bequeathed  it  to  his  favorite  son, 
Joseph,  saying:  "I  took  it  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Amorite 
with  my  sword  and  my  bow."  When  Joseph  was  dying  he 
gave  commandment  concerning  his  bones,  that  they  were  to 


436  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

be  brought  and  buried  there.  They  showed  us  the  tomb  of 
Joseph  near  the  well,  but  it  is  obviously  a  comparatively 
modern  structure.  Yet  near  this  spot  Joseph  was  buried,  and 
in  his  early  youth  he  wandered  around  this  field,  looking  for 
his  brethren. 

The  woman  of  Samaria  said  to  Jesus:  "Our  fathers  wor- 
shiped in  this  mountain  "  (Gerizim).  We  passed  from  the  well, 
through  a  beautifully  cultivated  valley,  in  which  were  fine 
olive  groves.  Mount  Gerizim  was  now  upon  our  left,  and 
Ebal  on  the  right.  After  riding  up  the  steep  path,  so  far  as 
was  convenient,  we  dismounted  and  climbed  to  the  summit  of 
the  "  Mount  of  Blessing."  A  beautiful  spring  gushes  out  about 
a  sixth  of  the  way  from  the  valley  to  the  top.  The  water  was 
cold  and  clear,  but  sparkling,  as  though  artificially  charged. 
Halfway  up  is  a  plain,  and  just  above  is  a  spot,  where,  for  in- 
definite ages,  the  Samaritans  have  pitched  their  tents  at  the 
Feast  of  the  Passover.  Gerizim  is  a  true  mountain,  lacking 
but  a  hundred  and  forty-five  feet  of  being  three  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea  level.  It  is  a  huge  mass  of  limestone  of  the 
tertiary  formation. 

No  traveler  should  be  deterred  from  making  the  ascent.  The 
summit  is  a  broad  table-land,  affording  the  finest  opportunities 
for  comprehending  the  landscape — the  blue  line  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, the  whole  route  over  which  we  had  traveled,  the  plain 
of  Makhnaa,  and  the  mountains  of  Gilead.  Dean  Stanley  be- 
lieved that  this  was  the  scene  of  Abraham's  encounter  with 
Melchizedek  and  the  sacrifice  of  Isaac.  He  regards  the  smooth 
sheet  of  rock  on  the  top,  with  the  cave  beside  it,  as  the  most 
authentic  remnant  of  primitive  worship  now  existing  in  Pales- 
tine. It  was  the  sacred  place  of  Shechem. 

Jotham  delivered  his  satirical  parable  from  the  top  of  the 
mount;  and  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  and  in  the  valley  be- 
low, may  be  seen  specimens  of  the  trees  which  Jotham  uses: 
"The  olive  tree,"  "the  fig  tree,"  "the  vine,"  " the  bramble. " 

Apart  from  its  natural  scenery,  the  summit  of  Gerizim  is 
a  surprise  to  the  traveler,  in  the  extent  and  number  of  the 
ruins  existing  there.  The  mountain  does  not  culminate  in  a 
cone  or  sharp  point,  but  in  a  flat  surface,  at  one  end  of  which 
are  the  ruins  of  an  immense  castle,  square,  and  flanked  with 


FROM  SHILOH  TO  GERIZIM.  437 

towers.  It  is  supposed  to  belong  to  the  time  of  Justinian, 
but  some  maintain  that  the  walls,  nearly  ten  feet  thick,  are  of 
later  date.  A  large  reservoir  is  to  the  north  of  the  castle,  and 
on  the  east  side  are  several  chambers;  one  has  a  Greek  cross 
over  the  door.  The  old  church  was  built  in  the  time  of  Jus- 
tinian, more  than  thirteen  hundred  years  ago.  There  were 
chapels,  and  the  building  was  octagonal.  Long  pavements 
extend  from  north  to  south,  and  the  very  stones  of  the  altar 
erected  by  Joshua  are  pointed  out. 

I  should  have  been  glad  to  ascend  Ebal,  the  "  Mount  of  Curs- 
ing." Three  hours  would  have  been  sufficient,  but,  having  lost 
a  day,  we  were  content  to  view  it  from  Gerizim.  Over  this 
valley,  and  on  the  hillsides,  the  whole  host  of  Israel  was  gath- 
ered. The  Levites  stood  on  Gerizim  to  pronounce  blessing 
upon  the  obedient,  and  from  Ebal  denounced  curses  upon  the 
rebellious.  Joshua  (viii)  tells  when  and  how  it  was  done,  and 
Deut.  xi-xiv  gives  the  order  by  Moses  for  the  ceremony.  We 
tested  the  echoes  from  the  slope  of  Gerizim,  and  brought 
back  sounds  that  appeared  to  come  from  Ebal.  Various  trav- 
elers have  stationed  friends  on  both  mountains,  they  them- 
selves standing  in  the  center  of  the  plain,  and  have  declared 
that  they  could  hear  distinctly  what  both  said. 

We  lunched  by  the  wayside,  that  day,  not  far  from  the  spot 
where  Jesus,  being  wearied,  rested  upon  Jacob's  Well,  and  had 
meat  to  eat  that  his  disciples  "  knew  not  of." 


438  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  LIII. 
Shechem,  Samaria,  Jenin. 

Events  of  Sacred  History  Connected  with  Nabulus — The  Modern  Town — 
Samaritans — Samaritan  Codex  of  the  Pentateuch — Across  the  Valley  of 
Samaria — Street  of  Columns — The  Plain  of  Esdraelon — Jenin. 

FROM  Gerizim  we  had  seen  the  beautiful  valley  of  Nabulus, 
and  our  road  now  led  through  it.  This  is  ancient  Shechem, 
also  called  Sichar,  Sichem,  and  Sychem.  Abraham  was  the  first 
biblical  visitor  to  the  place,  and  the  land  was  then  owned 
by  the  Canaanites.  Jacob  found  it  in  the  possession  of  the 
Hivites,  and  governed  by  Hamor,  the  father  of  Shechem. 
Simeon  and  Levi  took  it  and  murdered  every  male,  for  which 
they  were  cursed  by  Jacob  on  his  deathbed.  It  must  have 
been  near  here  that  Joseph  was  seized  by  his  brethren.  Re- 
hoboam  and  Jeroboam  met  there  and  divided  the  kingdom, 
and  then  Shechem  became  the  seat  of  Jeroboam's  government. 
To  Christians  it  is  peculiarly  interesting  because,  after  the  cap- 
tivity, the  Samaritans  made  this  their  sacred  place.  The  woman 
who  drew  from  Jacob's  Well  the  water  for  Jesus  lived  here. 

The  place  has  about  a  thousand  Christians,  a  few  Prot- 
estant and  the  others  either  Latin  or  Greek;  a  larger  num- 
ber are  Jews,  but  the  majority  of  the  people  are  Mohammed- 
ans. Down  to  a  recent  period  the  town  was  bitterly  intoler- 
ant toward  Christian  visitors,  whom  they  pelted  with  stones, 
at  the  same  time  crying  "Nozrani!" 

The  buildings  are  solidly  built  of  stone,  and  some  are  orna- 
mented ;  but  the  streets  are  dirty  and  narrow.  An  extraordinary 
traffic  in  soap,  the  principal  ingredient  of  which  is  olive  oil,  is 
carried  on,  there  being  more  than  twenty  manufactories. 

In  Nabulus  dwell  all  the  Samaritans  in  the  world,  less  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty.  They  are  of  "noble  physiognomy"  and 
of  magnificent  physique.  The  men  would  attract  attention 
anywhere  by  their  proportions;  and  have  so  little  of  the  Jew- 
ish cast  that  they  would  not  be  taken  as  belonging  to  that 


SHECHEM,  SAMARIA,  JENIN.  439 

race.  On  being  introduced  to  the  teacher  of  the  school,  a 
man  fully  six  feet  in  height,  we  asked  to  see  the  ancient  Samari- 
tan Codex  of  the  Pentateuch,  one  of  the  oldest  manuscripts  in 
the  world.  The  teacher  solemnly  assured  us  that  he  brought 
it  forth,  but,  having  been  warned  that  an  attempt  is  made  to 
palm  off  a  more  recent  copy  upon  travelers,  we  sent  for  the 
high  priest  and  tried  to  ascertain  whether  we  saw  the  original. 
In  a  few  moments  he  acknowledged  to  Selim  that  the  real 
original  manuscript  had  not  been  shown.  It  was  then  brought 
forth  and  reverently  kissed  by  the  Samaritans.  They  say  that 
it  was  written  by  a  grandson  or  great-grandson  of  Aaron, 
which  must  be  classed  with  the  instances,  so  common  in  the 
Eastern  world,  of  drawing  the  long  bow.  Nevertheless  those 
competent  to  judge  regard  it  as  being  nearly  two  thousand 
years  old. 

The  high  priest  is  handsome;  and,  paying  him  a  compliment, 
we  learned  that  he  had  his  photographs,  and  was  not  above 
selling  them.  George  Eliot,  in  Middlemarch,  declares  that 
none  are  so  proud  of  their  photographs,  or  give  artists  more 
trouble,  than  doctors  of  divinity  who  have  renounced  the 
world.  When  it  is  considered  that  a  stock  trade  is  done  by 
photographers  in  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  in  pic- 
tures of  ministers  and  of  bishops  in  their  prelatical  robes;  that 
peddlers  of  photographs  of  the  successful  revivalist  follow  him 
in  his  spiritual  labors,  and  that  a  snug  sum  is  derived  from 
their  sale,  I  will  say  nothing  against  this  man,  who,  so  far  as 
personal  beauty  is  concerned,  had  a  better  reason  for  putting 
his  photographs  upon  the  market  than  a  majority  of  those 
who  find  so  much  pleasure  in  it. 

A  peculiarity  of  the  Samaritans  is  scrupulous  cleanliness. 
We  were  curious  to  see  Jacob,  a  Samaritan  who  visited  Eng- 
land a  few  years  ago,  and  was  suspected  of  dealing  in  false  an- 
tiquities. He  came  forth,  and  was  ingratiating  in  manner  and 
of  splendid  physique.  His  countenance  was  indicative  of  high 
intellectuality;  he  spoke  English,  and  is  said  to  be  learned  in 
other  modern  languages. 

A  pleasant  incident  was  the  glimpse  we  had  of  the  Samari- 
tan children,  for  it  is  seldom  that  one  can  see  the  entire  rising 
generation  of  an  historic  people. 


44o  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  Samaritans  fought  against  the  Jews,  Christians,  and  the 
Roman  emperors.  In  the  sixth  century  they  were  numerous 
and  dangerous,  and  Justinian  dispatched  a  great  army  against 
them.  Some  fled  to  Persia  and  others  became  Christians. 
For  a  long  time  after  that  they  are  not  mentioned  in  history. 
There  were  a  thousand  of  them  in  the  twelfth  century,  but  since 
then  they  have  diminished  to  about  one  hundred  and  fifty, 
averaging  three  to  a  family.  They  believe  in  the  Pentateuch, 
reject  the  rest  of  the  Scriptures,  worship  one  God,  and  hate 
idols.  Three  times  a  year  they  make  a  pilgrimage  to  the  top 
of  Mount  Gerizim.  At  the  Feast  of  the  Passover  they  offer 
sacrifices.  A  Samaritan,  when  performing  any  service  in  the 
synagogue  at  Nabulus,  looks  in  an  oblique  direction  toward 
Mount  Gerizim;  and  from  that  point  the  feet  of  successive 
generations  of  Samaritans,  from  the  time  of  Nehemiah  until 
now,  have  worn  a  path  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain. 

They  are  as  antagonistic  to  the  Jews  as  were  their  fathers. 
Some  day  they  will  be  reduced  to  one  or  two,  who  will  have  a 
fortune  in  that  ancient  manuscript  of  the  Pentateuch,  and 
probably  in  future  ages  it  will  repose  in  the  British  Museum, 
or  some  other  endowed  repository  of  antiquities. 

I  bought  in  Nabulus  some  sesame,  grain  much  cultivated 
in  the  East,  resembling  oats,  and  often  spoken  of  in  oriental 
legends.  In  the  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments,  in  the  story 
of  "AH  Baba  and  the  Forty  Thieves,"  when  Cassim  was 
in  the  cave,  he  forgot  the  magic  words  which  alone  would 
open  the  door.  Vainly  he  tried  "Open,  wheat,"  ''Open, 
barley."  "Sesame"  he  could  not  recall,  and  so  died  for  his 
curiosity  and  cupidity. 

Nabulus  stands  on  the  great  divide,  and  we  saw  brooks  run- 
ning eastward  toward  the  Jordan,  and  westward  toward  the 
Great  Sea.  It  took  us  nearly  three  hours  to  cross  the  charm- 
ing valley  which  had  been  so  long  in  sight.  Then  we  began 
to  ascend  the  hill  of  Samaria.  The  First  and  Second  Books  of 
Kings  give  an  account  of  the  history  of  this  place,  until  the 
prophet  Hosea  declares  that  Samaria  shall  become  desolate. 
The  New  Testament  contains  its  apostolic  history.  Philip 
preached  there.  There  was  long  a  rivalry  between  Nazareth 
and  Samaria;  as  the  former  increased  the  latter  declined,  and 


SHECHEM,  SAMARIA,  JENIN.  441 

is  now  a  miserable  place,  but  retains  indications  of  its  former 
grandeur.  Tradition  represents  that  John  the  Baptist,  Oba- 
diah,  and  Elisha  were  buried  there.  We  went  down  into  the 
Tomb  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  saw  a  stone  door  less  than  four 
feet  high,  said  to  be  the  door  of  St.  John's  prison.  Josephus, 
however,  says  that  John  was  not  imprisoned  there,  but  in  a 
castle  on  the  Dead  Sea.  St.  Jerome  is  the  first  author  whose 
works  have  come  down  to  modern  times  who  speaks  of  John 
the  Baptist  being  buried  there.  On  a  point  like  this,  I  should 
be  inclined  to  believe  Josephus  rather  than  any  later  writer, 
unless  the  latter  could  prove  by  contemporary  evidence  that 
the  former  had  fallen  into  error. 

A  street  of  columns,  of  which  a  hundred  whole  or  broken 
remain,  with  the  ruins  of  others,  was  interesting.  The  orig- 
inal colonnade  was  about  three  fifths  of  a  mile  long.  Some  of 
the  columns  are  buried  beneath  the  soil.  As  Thomson  says: 
"The  entire  hill  is  covered  with  rubbish,  indicating  exist- 
ence and  repeated  destruction  of  a  large  city. " 

We  rode  rapidly  across  the  plain  to  the  place  of  encamp- 
ment; but  what  a  view  burst  upon  us  when  we  ascended  a  hill 
from  which  stretched  away  the  plain  of  Esdraelon !  About  us 
were  the  gardens  of  Samaria,  the  place  to  which  we  de- 
scended to  camp  being  on  the  boundary  between  those 
mountains  and  the  plain.  The  path  passed  near  the  ruins  of 
Dothan,  where  Joseph  came  seeking  his  brethren,  and  they 
sold  him  to  the  Ishmaelites.  Elisha  the  prophet  lived  here, 
and  Benhadad  surrounded  him  with  horses  and  chariots  in 
order  to  capture  him. 

Before  reaching  Jenin  we  went  through  another  of  those 
glens  famous  as  a  stronghold  of  robbers.  The  traditions  of 
many  resemble  wonderfully  the  tales  of  the  robber  castles  and 
bands  on  the  Rhine. 

Jenin  was  one  of  the  ancient  boundaries  between  Samaria 
and  Galilee.      Beautiful   gardens   and   clear   springs   abound 
there,  but  "we  could  tarry  but  a  night." 
23 


442  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  LIV. 
Jezreel,  Nain,  and  the  Cave  of  the  Witch  of  Endor. 

Figs  and  Palms — Jezreel — A  Bedouin  Camp — Dogs  in  Palestine — Fountain 
of  Gideon — The  Beautiful  Village  of  Shunem — Caravan  Route — Nain — 
An  Elderly  Appearing  Boy — Endor  and  its  Tragic  History — Cave  of  the 
Witch. 

IT  was  at  the  time  of  young  figs,  and  we  saw  them  in  the 
groves  of  Samaria  as  plentiful  as  peaches  in  a  fine  season  in 
the  orchards  of  Delaware.  No  one  who  sees  only  the  fig  of 
commerce,  packed  and  pressed,  can  form  a  correct  idea  of  the 
appearance  of  the  young  fruit.  Its  greenness  is  a  shade  pecul- 
iar to  itself;  its  shape  somewhat  like  that  of  a  small  gourd. 
The  stunted  palms  at  Jenin  reminded  us  of  the  scenes  of 
Egypt;  but  the  palm  tree  generally  in  Palestine  is  inferior  to 
those  found  where  the  climate  is  more  uniform. 

From  Jenin  we  went  across  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon 
to  Jezreel,  now  known  as  Zerin.  This  plain  has  several 
names:  Jezreel  (Hebrew),  Esdraelon  (Greek),  the  valley  of 
Armageddon,  spoken  of  in  the  Revelation  of  St.  John,  where 
Gog  and  Magog,  figuratively  used,  are  to  fight  a  battle.  It 
begins  at  the  Mediterranean,  between  the  head  of  Carmel  on 
the  south  and  Acre  on  the  north,  extending  across  Palestine 
to  the  river  Jordan.  On  the  north  are  the  mountains  of 
Lebanon,  on  the  south  those  of  Samaria. 

It  is  equal  to  the  smoothest  lawns  of  the  finest  parks  of  the 
world,  and  has  an  average  breadth  of  twelve  miles.  Over  it 
wander  marauding  Arabs,  so  that  there  is  little  cultivation. 
This  plain  was  a  battlefield  from  the  time  of  Barak  to  Napo- 
leon. In  1868  the  Bedouins  were  expelled,  but  within  fifteen 
years  they  have  once  or  twice  overrun  the  plain.  It  will  soon 
be  extensively  cultivated,  and  we  saw  the  beginnings  of  several 
improvements.  Storks  and  cranes  were  sailing  majestically 
over  our  heads,  or  settling  on  projections,  but  scarcely  a  house 
was  to  be  seen  in  the  whole  plain,  except  in  the  villages. 


JEZREEL,  NAIN,  AND  CAVE  OF  WITCH  OF  ENDOR.      443 

At  Zerin  we  had  a  fine  view.  Near  there  is  the  field  which 
Ahab  wrested  from  Naboth,  and  there  Jezebel  lived.  In  the 
distance,  through  a  romantic  cleft  in  the  hills,  Mount  Carmel 
and  Nazareth  appeared.  Here  Saul  fought  for  the  last  time 
against  the  Philistines,  and  committed  suicide. 

Seeing  a  Bedouin  camp  near  Jezreel,  I  went  with  Selim  to 
look  into  it.  They  had  several  dogs,  and  one  with  an  ap- 
pearance of  ferocity  quite  terrifying  came  out  to  attack  us. 
As  he  approached  and  became  irritating,  our  dragoman 
stooped  and  picked  up  a  stone.  Such  a  transition  I  never 
saw.  Fancy  a  panther  about  to  spring,  each  muscle 
stretched  to  its  utmost  tension,  the  mouth  wide  open,  every 
tooth  visible,  the  eyes  red  and  almost  leaping  from  their 
sockets;  in  a  second  the  same  animal  cowed,  its  tail  between 
its  legs,  its  ears  drooping,  every  muscle  relaxed,  moving 
away,  and  in  another  instant  in  a  half-shamefaced  way  snuff- 
ing the  ground  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  Selim  said  that 
all  dogs  in  Palestine  are  afraid  of  a  man,  unless  the  man  is 
afraid  of  the  dog. 

The  Bedouin  tents  are  protected  on  the  stormy,  but  open 
on  the  pleasant  side.  The  women  were  scantily  clad.  In 
one  tent  lay  several  children  and  dogs  asleep  side  by  side. 
The  whole  aspect  was  that  of  indolence,  stupidity,  animalism. 
They  were  the  lowest  sort  of  wandering  Bedouins,  and,  had  I 
been  alone,  would  have  fallen  upon  me,  stripped  me,  and  left 
me  more  than  half  dead. 

From  Zerin  it  is  a  short  distance  to  the  Fountain  of  Gideon, 
where  the  three  hundred  picked  men  lapped  the  water  with 
their  tongues  as  a  dog  lappeth;  and  we  were  within  twenty 
minutes' walk  of  the  spot  where  the  cry  was  raised,  "The 
sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon." 

We  made  our  way  to  Sulem,  the  Shunem  of  the  Bible.  It 
is  the  prettiest  small  village  in  Palestine,  is  surrounded 
by  a  hedge  of  prickly  pears,  and  near  beautiful  groves  of 
lemon,  orange,  and  citron  trees.  The  traveler  may  tell  of 
groves,  but  no  proper  impression  of  their  beauty  can  be  ob- 
tained till  seen.  This  was  the  home  of  the  Shunammite 
woman,  and  here  Elisha  raised  her  child  from  the  dead. 
Sulem  is  full  of  beehives,  and  never  did  honey  gatherers 


444  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

have  finer  pasturage  than  the  flowery  plain  of  Esdraelon 
affords. 

We  saw  the  caravan  route  from  Jerusalem  to  Egypt, 
traversed  from  long  before  David's  time  until  now  by  an 
almost  ceaseless  procession.  From  our  elevated  view  point 
upon  the  slope  of  the  hill  Moreh,  near  which  the  Midianites 
encamped  the  day  before  they  were  overthrown  by  Gideon, 
we  could  see  several  caravans  winding  slowly  along;  no  better 
illustration  of  the  old  English  phrase,  "wending  their  way," 
could  be  imagined. 

We  traveled  for  two  or  three  miles  after  passing  Shunem  in 
a  northeasterly  direction,  leaving  the  hills  on  the  left.  The 
plain  is  well  watered,  and  from  time  to  time  the  road  crossed 
small  streams,  conducting  us  finally  to  Nain,  the  scene  of  one 
of  the  most  pathetic  incidents  in  the  New  Testament. 

This  sacred  site  is  on  the  slope  of  Little  Hermon,  around 
which  we  had  traveled  to  reach  it,  and  from  its  position  com- 
mands a  charming  and  instructive  view.  The  place  is  insig- 
nificant and  dirty,  disfigured  by  heaps  of  rubbish  and  unro- 
mantic  ruins,  and  has  but  a  small  population.  On  the  west 
are  ancient  rock  sepulchers.  "Now  when  he  came  nigh  to 
the  gate  of  the  city,  behold,  there  was  a  dead  man  carried 
out,  the  only  son  of  his  mother,  and  she  was  a  widow:  and 
much  people  of  the  city  was  with  her."  To  the  Christian 
world  this  circumstance  makes  the  otherwise  obscure  and 
worthless  village  a  place  of  pilgrimage,  a  scene  of  interest, 
and  a  suggestion  of  divinity  and  immortality. 

As  we  entered,  a  boy,  gayly  dressed,  ran  along  by  the  side 
of  our  horses,  singing  in  a  clear  voice  and  in  excellent 
English:  "Jesus  loves  me,  this  I  know."  He  did  not  beg, 
but  accosted  us  with  familiarity,  yet  without  presumption. 
His  complexion  was  dark,  and  his  face  covered  with  the  incip- 
ient down  that  we  connect  with  eighteen  or  twenty  years  of 
masculine  age  in  this  country.  I  asked  him  his  age,  and  he 
said  "eleven  years."  Dr.  Bancroft  declined  to  believe  that 
he  was  telling  the  truth,  whereupon  up  sprang  an  argument 
between  us  concerning  the  probability  of  it,  the  doctor  declar- 
ing that  in  his  opinion  no  boy  eleven  years  old  ever  lived  as 
large  and  apparently  as  mature  as  this  boy.  I  maintained 


JEZREEL,  NAIN,  AND  CAVE  OF  WITCH  OF  ENDOR.      445 

that  I  had  seen  some  fully  his  equal.  Not  long  afterward  we 
had  an  opportunity  to  ask  a  woman  who  knew  him  his  age. 
She  hesitated,  the  boy  addressed  her  in  Arabic,  and  she  said 
in  that  tongue  to  the  dragoman:  "  He  is  eleven  years  of  age." 
As  I  was  about  to  rejoice,  Dr.  Bancroft  asked  the  dragoman 
what  the  boy  had  said  in  Arabic.  The  answer  came:  "  He 
told  her  to  say  that  he  was  eleven."  So  the  case  remained 
unsettled.  He  told  us,  what  we  had  no  reason  to  doubt,  that 
he  learned  English  in  a  school  in  Jerusalem.  This  elderly 
boy  adhered  to  us  until  we  left,  singing  from  time  to  time, 
"  Jesus  loves  me;  "  whatever  his  age  may  have  been,  he  was 
as  peculiar  a  specimen  of  human  nature  as  we  met. 

Nain  has  this  advantage  over  many  other  sites  of  Scripture 
events:  there  is  no  doubt  about  its  identity;  and  it  is  so  situ- 
ated that  the  very  spot  where  the  miracle  was  wrought  is 
certain.  There  is  a  Greek  church,  commemorating  the  rais- 
ing of  the  young  man,  which  we  found  some  difficulty  in 
entering.  It  was  at  that  time  kept  closed  on  account  of 
trouble  between  the  Greek  patriarch  in  Jerusalem  and  the 
priest  in  charge,  the  latter  having  been  removed. 

From  this  scene  of  New  Testament  history,  a  ride  of  less 
than  an  hour  down  into  the  plain,  across  it,  and  over  some 
rocky  elevations,  conducted  us  to  the  location  of  several  tragic 
incidents  of  the  Old  Testament. 

The  authenticity  of  the  site  of  Endor  is  practically  undis- 
puted. The  consecutive  history  of  the  place  identifies  it, 
references  to  it  being  so  frequent  that  tradition  has  never 
divided. 

This  is  the  probable  site  of  the  battle  between  Barak, 
Deborah,  Sisera,  and  his  host.  Barak  was  encamped  opposite 
on  Mount  Tabor.  As  Sisera  and  his  host  approached,  a  fear- 
ful storm  raged.  Barak  swept  down  upon  them  and  drove 
them  back  into  the  river  Kishon,  full  of  marshes  and  swamps. 
We  had  seen  enough  in  Palestine  to  show  us  how  this  small 
brook  in  a  few  hours  might  become  a  river,  "  forming  marshes 
and  quicksands,  into  which  one's  horses  sink  knee-deep."  As 
Barak's  force  pushed  them,  their  nine  hundred  chariots  of  iron 
fled  before  him  and  his  ten  thousand  men,  and  the  next  day 
Deborah  sang  the  song  of  victory:  "They  fought  from 


446  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

heaven;  the  stars  in  their  courses  fought  against  Sisera.  The 
river  of  Kishon  swept  them  away,  that  ancient  river,  the  river 
Kishon.  O  my  soul,  thou  hast  trodden  down  strength." 
Sisera  leaped  from  his  chariot,  and  wandered  across  the 
country  in  search  of  his  tents,  and  Jael  slew  him. 

It  was  to  this  spot  that  Saul  came  years  afterward  to  con- 
sult the  woman  forever  to  be  known  as  "The  Witch  of  En- 
dor."  The  mountain  of  Gilboa,  at  whose  base  Saul  was 
encamped,  was  not  such  a  situation  as  to  encourage  him  with 
the  hope  of  success  against  the  mighty  armies  which  the 
Philistines  had  gathered;  for  they  were  above  him.  God  had 
refused  to  answer  Saul,  and,  led  by  his  men,  he  resorted  to 
the  most  celebrated  witch  of  the  time,  who  had  maintained  her- 
self against  his  order  that  all  such  professed  dealers  in  spirits 
should  be  destroyed  out  of  the  land.  To  reach  her  he  had  to 
travel  about  ten  miles,  for  the  Philistine  camp  was  between 
his  camp  and  Endor,  and  to  reach  the  village  he  had  to  go 
around  to  the  eastward  of  the  hill  Moreh,  upon  which  we  had 
been  traveling. 

I  have  seen  attempts  in  prose  and  poetry  to  paraphrase  the 
Bible  narrative  of  this  visit,  but  in  simplicity  and  vividness,  as 
a  mere  work  of  art,  it  immeasurably  surpasses  the  best  of 
them. 

Endor  is  named  from  Dor,  a  spring.  It  is  the  dirtiest 
place  that  we  saw  in  all  Palestine,  and  the  children  are  among 
the  filthiest,  and  as  much  inclined  to  make  nuisances  of 
themselves  as  those  in  Egypt,  crowding  upon  us  like  wild  ani- 
mals. In  the  hillsides  are  caverns,  but  only  one  seemed 
at  all  suited  for  the  abode  of  a  human  being.  It  has  an 
opening  out  of  which  smoke  could  pass,  and  is  a  cow  stable; 
tradition  points  it  out  as  the  home  of  the  witch,  and  subse- 
quently inhabited  for  ages  by  human  beings.  We  stood  in  the 
cave  and  recalled  the  narrative  of  the  scene,  and  only  needed 
a  "secret,  black,  and  midnight  hag"  brewing  a  charm  within, 
and  a  giant,  feeble,  trembling,  starving,  worn  with  anxiety, 
with  two  men,  climbing  up  the  hill,  and  distant  encampments, 
to  typify  the  unavailing  efforts  of  desperation. 


TABOR  AND  NAZARETH.  449 


CHAPTER  LV. 
Tabor   and   Nazareth. 

Views  Ascending— From  the  Summit — Ruins — Vesper  Music  in  the  Russian 
Convent  Chapel — Strange  Flowerpots — Lost  in  a  Forest — Nazareth — Pop- 
ulation—Buildings—Mary's Well— Mounts  of  Precipitation— Reliques  of 

the  Christ. 

RIDING  for  an  hour  and  a  half  across  the  plain  from  the 
cave  of  the  Witch  of  Endor  brought  us  to  the  foot  of  Mount 
Tabor.  It  was  nearly  sundown,  and  a  council  was  held 
to  determine  whether  we  could  ascend,  descend,  and  reach 
the  place  of  encampment  before  overtaken  by  darkness;  but, 
the  sky  being  clear,  it  was  decided  to  make  the  attempt. 
Tabor  is  the  most  symmetrical  of  the  mountains  of  Palestine, 
and  the  zigzag  path  gives  a  succession  of  fine  views.  The  sum- 
mit is  only  two  thousand  and  eighteen  feet  above  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  it  is  but  a  little  over  a  thousand  above  the  plain. 

From  it  we  caught  the  first  glimpse  of  the  Sea  of  Tiberias; 
and  saw  the  battlefield  of  Barak  and  Sisera,  Mount  Carmel, 
the  far-off  mountains  of  the  Hauran  covered  by  tall  oaks  of 
Bashan,  and  towering  above  all,  as  Mont  Blanc  above  the 
other  Alps,  was  imperial  Hermon,  the  one  snow-clad  moun- 
tain. 

Tabor  is  covered  with  ruins,  and  there  are  several  monas- 
teries upon  it.  For  some  time  after  reaching  the  top  we  did 
not  see  a  human  being,  but  as  we  drew  near  the  Russian  convent 
the  sweetest  strains  of  music  fell  upon  our  ears,  and  hastening 
in  we  found  three  sisters  engaged  in  the  evening  worship.  No 
one  was  in  the  chapel  except  the  janitor  and  these  women. 
Apart  from  the  surroundings,  and  without  reference  to  the 
spell  which  they  would  naturally  throw  over  everything,  we 
agreed  that  we  had  seldom  heard  sweeter  music.  The  soprano 
was  birdlike;  the  contralto  almost  as  deep  as  a  basso.  The 
Russians  do  not  allow  instrumental  music;  the  large  chapel 
nearly  empty  gave  an  apparent  strength  to  their  voices  which. 


450  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

had  the  doors  been  closed,  might  have  produced  unpleasant 
echoes;  but  these  being  open,  the  music  in  that  pure  air  was 
entrancing.  So  excellent  was  the  discipline  of  the  nuns,  or  so 
absorbed  were  they  in  their  devotions,  that  they  did  not  so 
much  as  cast  a  glance  at  us,  though  we  tarried  until  the  long 
service  was  finished. 

Upon  the  roof  of  one  of  the  monasteries  were  long  rows 
of  flowerpots.  There  is  not  a  conjuror,  who  had  not  an  op- 
portunity of  ascertaining  the  facts  from  some  human  being, 
who  could  conjecture  from  what  those  pots  were  made.  Great 
is  America!  They  were  Pratt's  Astral  Oil  cans,  which  illumi- 
nating fluid  is  used  in  various  parts  of  the  oriental  world. 

It  is  possible  that  Tabor  was  selected  for  beauty  and  Carmel 
for  majesty,  as  well  as  for  the  points  of  the  compass.  "As  I 
live,  saith  the  King,  whose  name  is  the  Lord  of  hosts,  Surely  as 
Tabor  is  among  the  mountains,  and  as  Carmel  by  the  sea,  so 
shall  he  come." 

It  was  believed  for  ages  that  Tabor  was  the  scene  of  the 
transfiguration,  and  as  early  as  the  sixth  century  the  pilgrims 
erected  three  churches  here.  The  scene  of  the  transfigura- 
tion is  now  generally  placed  at  a  long  distance  from  this  point, 
though  within  a  short  time  a  strong  tendency  has  appeared  to 
return  to  the  ancient  tradition. 

It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and  the  descent  was  made  as  rap- 
idly as  possible.  Soon  after  reaching  the  base,  and  passing 
through  an  olive  orchard,  we  plunged  into  a  dense  forest, 
which  the  few  lingering  rays  of  the  sun  could  not  penetrate. 
Absolute  darkness  encompassed  us.  We  continually  lost  our 
way  and  had  difficulty  and  conflicts  of  judgment  in  finding  it. 
An  eccentric  individual,  named  Hobib,  who  joined  us  at  Jenin, 
had  been  over  the  route  several  times,  but  became  confused 
and  was  so  terrified  as  to  be  of  little  assistance.  Meanwhile 
the  whimperings  and  finally  the  howls  of  jackals  made  the 
night  hideous.  These  whimperings  are  so  peculiar  that,  on 
hearing  them  from  the  elevated  height  far  above  us,  I  said: 
"We  are  not  far  from  a  house;  listen  to  those  children." 
But  in  less  than  five  minutes  we  knew  that  they  were  not 
human  voices.  At  last  Hobib  became  so  terrified  and  so 
certain  that  we  were  lost,  that  Selim  essayed  to  obtain  informa- 


TABOR  AND  NAZARETH.  451 

tion  from  a  house,  the  light  of  which  we  saw  in  the  distance. 
A  dialogue  was  carried  on  in  Arabic,  and  we  obtained  sufficient 
directions  to  put  us  in  the  right  road,  and  about  ten  o'clock 
entered  the  sacred  city  of  Nazareth. 

A  new  difficulty  then  presented  itself.  The  camp  was  not 
where  Selim  expected  to  find  it,  nor  were  there  any  people 
about  the  streets  to  direct  us.  But  after  much  wandering 
and  several  inquiries  at  houses,  some  of  which  owing  to  the 
lateness  of  the  hour  were  not  answered  pleasantly,  and  our 
movements  being  watched  and  howled  at  by  a  number  of  dogs, 
we  reached  the  camp. 

Hobib,  before  leaving,  presented  us  with  a  letter,  which  is 
here  printed  exactly  as  spelled  in  the  document.  It  is  a  mix- 
ture of  oriental  shrewdness  and  simplicity.  The  frankness 
with  which  the  signers  state  their  desire  to  connect  preaching 
with  living  in  this  world  and  "rest  in  their  minds;  "  their  in- 
vocations of  the  divine  blessing;  and  their  Uriah  Heap-like 
humility  are  as  remarkable  as  the  orthography: 

"  To  our  Dear  Breathern  &  Sisters  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
As  we  have  the  liberty  to  write  you  this  petation  to  your  mercy 
ful  that  we  both  are  breathern  from  the  Holy  City  Jerusalem 
and  we  are  brought  up  in  the  English  School  of  Pishop  Gobat 
and  after  lefting  the  school  we  dwelt  in  Nablous  which  is  called 
Schkem  and  one  of  us  is  born  from  his  mothers  womp  in  one 
hand  and  his  wife  from  3  months  ago  she  left  this  world  and 
now  he  has  no  pusnes  enorder  to  get  his  daly  food  and  he  has 
3  sons  in  the  Latan  School  and  the  other  Brother  his  handwark 
Shewmaker  and  in  this  Contry  his  work  is  not  enough  for  man- 
taning  us  we  two  and  therefore  we  thaught  in  our  minds  to 
explain  to  you  our  own  history  to  be  plained  to  your  mercyfuly 
hoping  from  your  great  kindness  and  from  the  Lord  Jesus  to 
put  his  strong  feeling  in  your  harts  enorder  to  take  us  in  any 
part  of  Europe  by  putting  us  in  any  wark  or  in  a  College  to 
learn  that  by  and  by  may  we  be  able  to  preach  the  warld  of 
God  amongst  the  peoble  and  be  rest  in  our  minds  and  in  our 
living  in  this  warld  and  the  last  of  our  peseeging  you  if  our 
desire  will  not  be  fullfiled  we  hope  from  your  great  mercy  as 
to  help  us  in  any  kind  of  favour  by  giving  us  some  money  help 


45-' 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


to  our  food  because  we  are  nedy  and  who  do  mercy  with  us 
God  may  keep  in  his  going  and  commingand  be  with  him  from 
all  any  harm  and  give  him  at  last  the  enharitans  of  the  King- 
dom of  heaven  your  most  opedent  humble  servent 

"John  and  Hobib  the 

"  Sons  of  Micheel  Doorsy. " 

Nazareth  rivals  Bethlehem  in  the  devotion  of  pilgrims,  and 
surpasses  it  in  connection  with  the  life  of  Christ.     It  was  to  a 


Nazareth. 

city  of  Galilee  named  Nazareth,  to  a  virgin  espoused  to  a  man 
whose  name  was  Joseph,  that  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  from 
God.  From  Nazareth  Joseph  went  up  to  Bethlehem  to  be 
taxed  with  Mary,  his  espoused  wife.  Thence,  being  warned 
of  God  in  a  dream,  they  fled  to  Egypt,  and  after  the  return 
resumed  their  former  abode  in  Nazareth.  There  Jesus  dwelt 
until  he  entered  upon  his  ministry,  and  so  it  was  fulfilled  which 
was  spoken  by  the  prophet:  "  He  shall  be  called  a  Nazarene." 
It  was  from  Nazareth  that  he  went  to  be  baptized  of  John 
in  the  Jordan  when  he  was  beginning  his  public  ministry.  He 
then  returned  "  to  Nazareth,  where  he  had  been  brought  up;" 
but,  though  he  returned  unto  his  own,  his  own  received  him 
not.  So  he  left  that  city  and  went  to  Capernaum  and  other 
places,  going  back  to  Nazareth  once  more,  nearly  a  year  later. 
But  the  people  with  whom  he  had  lived  twenty-eight  years  be- 
came enraged  as  he  expounded  the  Scriptures  in  their  syna- 


TABOR  AND  NAZARETH.  453 

gogue,  and  "thrust  him  out  of  the  city,  and  led  him  unto  the 
brow  of  the  hill  whereon  their  city  was  built,  that  they  might 
cast  him  down  headlong." 

Never  afterward,  as  far  as  can  be  learned  from  the  New 
Testament,  did  he  visit  the  place. 

From  most  points  of  view  Nazareth  seems  far  up  upon  the 
summit  of  a  mountain,  but  it  is  really  on  the  side  and  sur- 
rounded by  hills,  which  "seem  as  if  they  had  met  to  form  an 
inclosure."  Stanley  counted  fifteen,  which  he  describes  as 
gently  rounded.  When  we  were  there  they  were  covered  with 
rich  grass,  and  nothing  more  charming  can  be  found  in  Ver- 
mont or  in  the  lake  districts  of  England  than  these  green  hills. 

The  views  from  the  streets  of  Nazareth  are  beautiful. 
Glimpses  are  to  be  obtained  of  every  part  of  the  ground  over 
which  we  had  traveled,  and  of  expanses  which  we  were  yet  to 
explore.  From  the  hills  above  the  city  we  saw  Tabor,  Her- 
mon,  and  Carmel,  and  enjoyed  a  fine  view  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean Sea.  In  ancient  times  its  population  was  rough  and  a 
terror  to  surrounding  villages.  The  proverb  which  fell  from 
the  lips  of  Nathanael,  "  Can  any  good  thing  come  out  of  Naz- 
areth ? "  finds  its  explanation  in  its  wild  mountain  situation 
and  the  corresponding  strength  and  ferocity  of  its  inhabitants. 

We  were  here  in  the  town  in  which  Jesus  lived  for  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  amid  that  half-savage  population,  iso- 
lated, obscure,  quiet.  So  little  is  told  of  him  that  a  single 
page  might  contain  it  all. 

We  had  arrived  at  the  time  to  behold  nature  in  its  brightest 
hue.  The  fig  and  olive  trees,  the  cactus  hedges,  and  all  the 
flowers  of  spring  wore  their  most  beautiful  garments.  Fine 
opportunities  for  studying  the  different  classes  of  population 
were  afforded  by  the  fact  that  the  town  is  divided  into  three 
quarters — one  devoted  to  the  Latins,  another  to  the  Greeks, 
and  the  other  to  the  Mohammedans.  The  Turkish  officials 
put  the  population  at  ten  or  twelve  thousand;  others  declare 
that  there  are  not  more  than  six  thousand,  and  divide  them 
thus:  2,000  Mohammedans,  2,500  Orthodox  Greeks,  800  Lat- 
ins, 100  Protestants,  and  two  or  three  hundred  of  other  sects. 
The  Jews  are  so  few  in  number  as  not  to  receive  enumeration. 
We  did  not  see  more  than  five  or  six. 


454  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

The  largest  buildings  are  the  Latin  monastery  and  hospital. 
The  Church  of  the  Annunciation  is  within  the  monastery. 
Between  the  altars  are  steps  leading  to  the  Chapel  of  the  Annun- 
ciation, where  is  this  Latin  inscription:  "Hie  Verbum  Caro 
Factnm  Est"  (Here  the  Word  was  made  flesh).  The  places 
are  indicated  thus:  There  is  a  round  column  called  the  col- 
umn of  Gabriel.  This  is  supposed  to  mark  the  spot  where 
the  angel  stood.  Eighteen  inches  distant,  hanging  from  the 
ceiling,  is  a  fragment  of  a  column  which  is  said  to  be  miracu- 
lously supported,  and  to  distinguish  the  spot  where  the  Virgin 
sat -when  she  received  the  communication  of  the  angel.  Here 
also  is  the  spot  where  the  house  of  the  Virgin  is  said  to  have 
stood.  According  to  the  claim  of  the  Roman  Catholics,  the 
house  is  in  Loretto,  Italy.  The  tradition  is  that  on  May  10, 
1291,  angels  carried  off  the  building  to  prevent  the  Mohammed- 
ans, who  had  captured  the  city,  from  profaning  it.  They  took 
it  first  to  Tersato,  in  Dalmatia;  there  it  remained  some  years, 
and  was  then  taken  to  Loretto.  In  1471  the  Church  accepted 
the  miracle  and  officially  confirmed  it.  As  the  Latins  cannot 
pretend  to  possess  the  house,  they  show  the  rock  on  which 
it  rested.  Stanley  makes  a  dispassionate  examination  of  the 
question,  and  shows  that  no  pilgrim  who  visited  Nazareth 
from  the  fourth  to  the  sixteenth  century  alludes  to  any  house 
of  Joseph  as  standing  or  having  been  there  within  human 
memory,  that  the  records  in  Italy  contain  no  mention  of  it  till 
the  fifteenth  century.  He  then  confronts  it,  as  it  stands  at 
Loretto,  with  the  place  as  it  appears  at  Nazareth,  showing  that 
the  house  in  Italy,  being  36  x  17,  could  not  possibly  have  stood 
there,  and  that  if  it  did  stand  where  they  say  it  did,  it  "  would 
have  closed  up  with  blank  walls  the  very  passages  by  which 
alone  the  communication  could  be  effected."  He  concludes 
that  it  is  the  most  incredible  of  all  ecclesiastical  legends,  and 
apologizes  for  attempting  any  detailed  refutation  of  it  because 
of  the  pathetic  devotion  of  the  Italian  people. 

The  Roman  Catholics  also  show  us  the  workshop  of  Joseph; 
it  has  only  been  about  two  hundred  years  since  the  story  arose. 
They  claim  to  have  the  table  on  which  Christ  dined  with  his 
apostles  both  before  and  after  the  resurrection;  it  is  a  block  of 
chalk  eleven  and  a  half  feet  long  and  nine  and  a  half  feet  broad. 


TABOR  AND  NAZARETH.  455 

At  the  other  end  of  the  town  is  the  Church  of  the  Annuncia- 
tion of  the  Greeks,  and  this  in  all  probability,  is  in  the  right 
place,  for  the  most  ancient  tradition  is  that  the  angel  accosted 
Mary  as  she  was  drawing  water. 

There  is  but  one  spring  of  importance  in  Nazareth,  and  that 
from  the  earliest  times  has  been  called  Mary's  Well.  It  is 
near  the  Greek  Church  of  the  Annunciation.  We  came  upon 
that  well  unexpectedly,  and  saw  pilgrims  bathing  their  eyes 
and  heads,  and  many  Nazarene  women  drawing  water.  Noth- 
ing in  all  Palestine  is  more  certain  than  that  the  mother  of 
Jesus,  with  her  infant  son,  went  to  and  from  that  spring. 
Nor  is  anything  much  more  probable  than  that  the  scene  which 
we  witnessed  was  in  all  essential  particulars  similar  to  that 
which  daily  took  place  at  the  same  abundant  spring  in  all  the 
years  of  Christ's  life  there. 

The  gardens  of  Nazareth  are  beautiful  and  kept  constantly 
green  by  the  use  of  water  from  the  spring.  Mary's  Well, 
take  it  all  in  all,  is  the  most  beautiful  and  touching  relic  of 
Christ  which  the  city  affords.  It  is  more  than  likely  that  our 
Lord's  daily  experience  with  that  ever-flowing  stream  sug- 
gested the  frequent  references  to  wells  of  water  springing  up 
into  everlasting  life;  for  it  was  his  custom  to  draw  symbols  of 
spiritual  truth  from  the  natural  scenery  with  which  he  had 
been  familiar. 

The  most  darkly  tragical  of  the  reminiscences  is  the  deter- 
mination of  the  mob  of  his  fellow-townsmen  (who  could  not 
bear  either  his  spiritual  claims  or  his  elevation)  to  cast  him 
headlong  over  the  cliff.  We  made  no  journeys  to  the  differ- 
ent sites  of  supposed  Mounts  of  Precipitation.  We  could  see 
several  from  the  city:  though  some  one  must  have  been  meant, 
and  at  the  time  was  preeminently  appropriate  and  accessible, 
there  are  so  many,  any  of  which  might  have  served  the  pur- 
pose, that  no  idea  resting  upon  any  probable  basis  can  be 
formed.  The  Maronites  have  built  a  church  near  a  hill  which, 
in  the  opinion  of  some  critics,  is  a  much  more  likely  place 
than  the  one  generally  pointed  out,  near  which  we  passed 
when  riding  around  the  mountain  of  Endor. 

I  approached  Nazareth  with  a  spirit  of  hunger  for  some- 
thing unmistakably  connected  with  the  life  of  Christ,  a  desire 


456  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

beautifully  described  in  a  poem  to  be  found  in  a  little  book, 
called  Reliques  of  the  Christ,  written  by  Dr.  Denis  Wortman: 

"  I  wonder  if  in  Nazareth, 

By  heedless  feet  o'errun, 
There  lingers  still  some  dear  relique 

Of  work  by  Joseph's  Son  ; 
Some  carved  thought,  some  tool  of  toil, 

Some  house  with  stones  grown  gray, 
A  home  he  built  who  had  not  where 

His  weary  head  to  lay. 

"  I  visit  Nazareth,  ask  each  man, 

Each  mound,  each  stone,  each  wind; 
'  I  pray  ye,  help  some  precious  trace 

Of  your  great  Builder  find  ; ' 
Alas  !  ye  listeners  to  my  plaint, 

The  startled  silence  saith  : 
'  What  once  was  false,  is  now  too  true — 

No  Christ  in  Nazareth  ! '  " 

While  it  is  true,  so  far  as  any  work  of  his  hands  there  is  con- 
cerned, there  is  nothing  to  satisfy  the  longing  of  the  Christian, 
still  one  does  not  carry  a  dissatisfied  feeling  away,  for  he 
finds  what  he  desires  in  the  place  itself.  Nazareth  never 
was  a  large  place;  the  situation  rendered  it  impossible.  Walk- 
ing, as  we  did,  through  all  the  streets  and  around  the  sub- 
urbs, over  every  point,  our  feet  must  have  pressed  the  very 
spots  over  which  he  walked;  but  even  that  needs  spiritualizing 
to  make  it  preeminently  strengthening  to  faith.  It  is  not  that 
the  Bible  relates  so  faithfully  the  facts  of  nature  in  Pales- 
tine that  makes  it  a  book  for  the  soul,  but  that  it  describes 
man  and  supplies  his  deepest  needs.  As  we  take  leave  of 
Nazareth,  where  memories  crowd  so  thickly  upon  us,  and 
where,  because  much  has  been  expected,  there  may  be  a  feel- 
ing of  vague  disappointment  that  more  is  not  found,  we  cannot 
do  better  than  to  quote  another  stanza  of  the  poem  above  re- 
ferred to,  which  has  in  it  the  exultant  triumph  of  faith  over 
sight: 

"  But,  O  my  soul,  why  thus  cast  down  ? 

A  truer  Nazareth  scan  ; 
What  if  thou  find  no  time-spoiled  work 

Of  Christ,  the  Son  of  man  ? 


TABOR  AND  NAZARETH.  457 

Joy  yet  to  thee  !  lift  up  thy  head  ! 

Cast  raptured  gaze  abroad, — 
See  in  this  vast  Christ-builded  world 

Signs  of  the  Son  of  God." 

As  we  began  to  strike  tents  in  the  morning  a  motley  crowd 
assembled,  watching  until  we  departed.  The  arrival,  move- 
ments, and  departure  of  travelers  furnished  the  chief  amuse- 
ment of  the  idlers  and  urchins  of  Nazareth.  Several  tribes 
were  represented  in  the  crowd,  and  some  of  the  children  were 
bright,  pleasing  in  appearance,  less  boisterous  than  European 
children,  and  more  graceful  and  winning  in  manner  than  most 
who  have  an  eye  to  reward.  They  could  beg  without  seeming 
to  do  so,  and  the  lowest  were  content  to  get  the  food  which 
the  cook  would  otherwise  have  thrown  away.  Nowhere  did 
we  receive  so  much  attention  from  spectators. 


458  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  LVI. 
From  Nazareth  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee  by  Way  of  Cana. 

Kefr-Kenna — Mount  of  Beatitudes — First  View  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee — Ti- 
berias— Description  of  the  Sea — History  of  the  Town — Grave  of  Maimoni- 
des — Two  Protestant  Services  on  Sunday — The  Protestant  Mission  in 
Tiberias. 

ON  leaving  Nazareth  we  set  out  for  Cana  of  Galilee,  whose 
modern  name  is  Kefr-Kenna.  Passing  by  Mary's  Well,  in 
about  an  hour  and  a  half  we  reached  the  village.  Before 
doing  so  we  passed  the  birthplace  of  the  prophet  Jonah,  a 
genuine  tradition  with  scriptural  support.  It  is  also  one  of 
the  places  which  claim  his  tomb.  Here  is  his  supposed  sepul- 
cher  on  the  hill,  and  visible  at  a  considerable  distance. 

Is  Kefr-Kenna  the  original  Cana?  For  a  long  time  there  was 
no  dispute  upon  the  point.  Every  marriage  ceremony  recalls 
the  fact  that  Christ  performed  his  first  miracle  here,  and  at 
a  wedding.  This  was  the  native  place  of  Nathanael,  "an 
Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  is  no  guile."  Christ  was  here  when 
he  spoke  the  word  which  healed  the  nobleman's  son  who  was 
sick  at  Capernaum;  and  here  the  nobleman  exhibited  a  faith 
which  made  his  name  immortal,  and  forever  an  example  and 
encouragement  to  all  Christians. 

Dr.  Robinson  denies  that  this  is  the  site,  and  locates  it 
at  Cana-El-Jaeliel,  about  nine  miles  from  Nazareth.  Other 
critics,  having  considered  all  that  Drs.  Robinson  and  Porter 
have  to  offer,  believe  the  claims  to  be  about  equally  balanced. 

In  this  town  the  children  raised  a  cry  which  reminded  us 
of  the  "Howadji"  which  we  had  heard  so  often  in  Egypt: 
"Hadji  !  Hadji!  "  With  this  cry  they  ran  after  the  traveler, 
offering  water  and  expecting  a  gratuity.  In  the  Greek  church 
they  pretend  to  have  one  of  the  waterpots  that  were  filled 
when  Jesus  turned  the  water  into  wine.  Such  pots  have  been 
shown  all  along,  and  the  only  thing  probable  is  that  from  the 


FROM  NAZARETH  TO  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE.  461 

unchanging  customs  of  the  country  it  may  reasonably  be  in- 
ferred that  the  original  pots  were  of  this  kind. 

Passing  on,  the  Horns  of  Hattin,  a  hill  with  two  peaks, 
appeared.  Its  peculiar  shape  makes  it  very  deceiving  as  to 
height.  It  is  believed  by  many  to  be  the  Mount  of  Beati- 
tudes; that  here  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  was  preached 
and  the  five  thousand  were  fed.  The  Crusaders  first  affirmed 
it  to  be  the  spot,  and  it  wonderfully  agrees  with  the  Bible 
narrative. 

Near  where  we  then  were  the  last  great  struggle  of  the  Cru- 
saders took  place,  eight  hundred  and  six  years  ago. 

It  was  not  far  from  the  Horns  of  Hattin  that  the  Knights 
Templars,  with  the  Bishop  of  Lydda,  who  bore  the  holy  cross, 
assembled;  but  they  were  all  slain  or  captured  by  the  victorious 
Saladin,  since  when,  with  occasional  brief  intervals,  the  sword 
of  Mohammed  has  held  the  Holy  Land. 

Riding  rapidly  on  across  the  plain,  which  gave  us  the  best 
opportunity  we  had  had  since  leaving  Jerusalem  of  seeing 
what  our  horses  could  do,  with  the  discovery  that  they  were 
not  equal  to  much,  we  began  to  have  fine  views  of  Hermon;  the 
mountains  of  Galilee;  and  finally  the  whole  Sea  of  Tiberias  was 
spread  out  before  us,  a  prospect  very  similar  to  that  which  we 
had  after  leaving  the  Convent  of  Mar  Saba  on  our  way  to  the 
Dead  Sea.  We  continued  to  rise  to  the  summit  of  the  ridge, 
and  then  descended  almost  to  the  lake,  which  was  more  than 
a  thousand  feet  below  us  when  we  had  the  first  view  of  it. 
Our  destination  was  Tiberias,  which  we  reached  before 
sunset,  finding  the  camp  already  pitched  along  the  shore  to 
the  right  of  the  town  and  half  a  mile  below  it.  This  was 
Saturday  evening,  and  where  could  we  have  had  a  more  beau- 
tiful place  for  a  Sabbath  rest  than  the  shores  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee? 

Our  tents  were  close  to  the  celebrated  hot  baths,  which  from 
ancient  times  have  been  in  high  repute  for  the  cure  of  rheu- 
matism and  similar  diseases.  The  reputation  of  Tiberias  is 
not  good  in  a  sanitary  point  of  view,  the  place  being  malarious, 
filthy,  and  verminous,  so  that  travelers  generally  encamp  at 
some  distance  from  it.  We  were  delighted  with  the  situation 
chosen.  Below,  at  a  little  distance,  was  a  party  of  ladies  and 
24 


462  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

gentlemen  and  children  from  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  among  them 
being  two  clergymen  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 
Their  cavalcade  was  large,  and  they  traveled  with  the  greatest 
comfort  and  without  haste. 

Before  retiring  for  the  night  we  explored  the  little  city,  rid- 
ing along  the  shore  of  the  lake  on  an  excellent  road. 

Some  have  gone  into  raptures  over  the  charms  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  while  others  have  disparaged  it  as  not  having  any  at- 
tractions which  would  make  it  noted  were  it  not  for  its  Scrip- 
tural associations. 

My  impression  is  that  in  any  part  of  the  world  it  would  be 
thought  charming.  Though  inferior  to  the  Swiss  lakes  in 
grandeur,  and  to  the  Italian  in  sweetness,  and  without  islands, 
yet  the  vivid  green  of  the  shores,  the  moderate  height  and 
occasional  abruptness  of  the  banks,  the  soft  blue  tint  of  the 
water,  and  the  effects  produced  by  the  brilliancy  of  the  sunlight 
and  the  rapid  evaporation,  make  a  picture  not  to  be  truthfully 
described  as  monotonous  or  otherwise  than  as  a  scene  of 
natural  interest  worthy  the  attention  of  poet,  artist,  and  lover 
of  the  beautiful. 

Far  away  uprears  imposing  Hermon,  while  mountains 
flanked  by  hills  limit  the  horizon.  Like  Lake  Geneva  it  is 
exposed  to  sudden  changes,  the  result  of  the  high  winds  which 
sometimes  rise,  and  Byron's  words: 

"  The  scene  is  changed,  and  such  a  change! 
O  storm  and  night  and  darkness, 
Ye  are  wondrous  strong  !" 

may  find  illustration  here.  We  were  not  fortunate  enough  to 
see  a  genuine  storm  on  the  lake,  but  the  configuration  explains 
itself  to  every  eye  familiar  with  the  storm-generating  forces 
latent  in  lakes  that  are  in  the  vicinity  of  mountains,  and  from 
whose  shores  rise  irregular  hills. 

At  night  the  spectacle  was  subduing  and  thought-provok- 
ing. The  starlit  sky  reflected  in  the  absolutely  smooth  surface 
of  water  gave  the  effect  of  two  firmaments,  and  it  was  as  easy 
to  study  the  heavens  by  looking  downward  as  by  looking  into 
the  glass  of  a  reflecting  telescope. 

Less  than  seven  miles  in  the  widest  place,  not  more  than 


FROM  NAZARETH  TO  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE.  465 

twelve  and  a  half  miles  long,  shaped  like  a  pear  with  its  pointed 
end  to  the  south,  is  this  sacred  sea;  seven  hundred  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  Mediterranean,  its  average  depth  is  about  one 
hundred  and  sixty  feet.  The  surrounding  region  is  volcanic, 
and  earthquakes  have  been  common.  Fifty-three  years  ago 
half  the  population  of  the  city  lost  their  lives  in  a  terrible 
shock  which  threw  down  the  walls  and  many  of  the  houses  and 
shattered  the  castle. 

Tiberias  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  by  Herod  Antipas, 
in  about  the  year  20  of  the  Christian  era,  in  honor  of  Tiberius, 
the  Roman  emperor.  The  ancient  city  was  one  of  the  most 
prosperous — in  fact,  the  chief  city  of  Galilee.  After  Jerusalem 
was  destroyed  it  became  the  center  of  Jewish  dignity,  wealth, 
and  learning.  Ruins  are  scattered  for  miles  along  the  shore  of 
the  lake,  but  require  an  expert  to  explain  their  significance. 

At  the  present  time  nearly  two  thirds  of  the  population  of  the 
city  are  Jews.  Many  are  from  Europe,  especially  Poland,  and 
belong  to  the  sect  of  the  Ashkenazim,  though  the  same  term 
is  applied  to  Russian,  Hungarian,  Bohemian,  Moravian,  Ger- 
man, and  Dutch  Jews.  The  rest  belong  to  the  sect  of  the 
Sephardim — Spanish-Portuguese  Jews.  The  Talmudists  made 
their  headquarters  in  this  place;  the  two  famous  books  of  the 
Jews,  the  Mishna  and  the  Masorah,  were  published  here;  and 
for  centuries  the  Sanhedrim  convened  in  Tiberias. 

We  visited  the  Jewish  burial  ground,  where  distinguished 
modern  Jews  are  buried,  especially  those  known  as  Tal- 
mudists. One  name  is  honored  both  by  Jews  and  Christians, 
Maimonides,  who  died  six  hundred  and  eighty-six  years 
ago,  a  man  worthy  to  be  mentioned  among  scholars  and 
philosophers  of  all  ages.  The  others  are  buried  in  graves,  but 
his  body  is  encased  in  a  somewhat  ornate  sarcophagus.  A 
citizen  gave  us  a  tradition  that  when  his  body  was  brought 
there  on  camels,  they  went  round  in  a  circle,  refusing  to  go 
away  from  the  place  where  he  is  buried,  or  to  carry  the  body 
farther,  from  which  it  was  inferred  that  God  miraculously 
indicated  the  site  for  his  interment! 

When  we  had  been  in  camp  a  short  time  a  gentleman  called 
and  announced  that  he  was  in  Tiberias  as  a  missionary  of  one  of 
the  Presbyterian  churches  in  Scotland,  and  on  finding  that  we 


466  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

were  ministers,  expressed  an  earnest  desire  that  we  would  con- 
duct the  service  on  the  next  morning,  which  was  the  Sabbath. 

A  message  was  received  later  from  the  adjacent  tent,  in- 
forming us  that  the  services  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
would  be  read  there  the  next  morning,  and  inviting  us  to  at- 
tend. The  acceptance  of  the  former  invitation  made  it  neces- 
sary to  decline  the  latter.  It  was  pleasing  to  have  the  oppor- 
tunity for  religious  worship  in  our  own  language  amid  such 
scenes.  The  service  was  held  in  a  little  upper  room,  the  resi- 
dence of  the  missionary,  and  the  congregation  numbered  thir- 
teen. It  was  a  new  sensation  to  worship  within  sight  of  the 
sea  on  which  Jesus  walked  and  the  shores  along  which  were 
wrought  some  of  his  greatest  miracles. 

The  founding  of  a  mission  in  Tiberias  seems  to  me  the  most 
hopeless  work  as  yet  undertaken  by  Protestantism.  The  Jews 
of  this  city  are  not  surpassed  in  bigotry  in  the  world  ;  the 
Mohammedan  population  is  inaccessible  ;  the  climate  for  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  year  is  so  insalubrious  that  the 
missionary  has  to  reside  in  Safed,  a  high  mountain  city.  The 
principles  of  radiation  from  centers  of  seed-sowing,  modifica- 
tion by  general  influences,  the  aid  of  the  adherence  of  the  gov- 
ernment to  the  new  religion,  so  useful  in  India,  and  some  other 
parts  of  the  world,  cannot  be  applied  here;  and  if  anything 
important  shall  arise  from  this  mission,  it  will  be  a  triumph  of 
grace  and  perseverance.  A  Syrian  physician,  educated  in  the 
Protestant  College  at  Beirut,  whom  we  met  in  the  congrega- 
tion, cautiously  intimated  that  he  thought  "some  time  some- 
thing might  be  done." 


FROM  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE  TO  HERMON.  467 


CHAPTER  LVII. 
From  the  Sea  of  Galilee  to  Hermon. 

Four  Hours  upon  Galilee— A  Fishing  Boat— Ruins  of  Capernaum— Vivid- 
ness of  Bible  Narratives— Ain-et-Tin— Road  to  Banias— Encampment  of 
Bedouins— Joseph's  Well— Waters  of  Merom— Dan— Banias— Alleged 
Attempt  at  Robbery— Fountain  of  the  Jordan— Probable  Scene  of  the 
Transfiguration— Druses  and  Maronites— Ascending  Hermon— Traditional 
Scene  of  Saul's  Conversion. 

IN  the  time  of  Christ  this  little  lake  was  the  center  of  great 
activity.  Nine  cities  stood  upon  its  shores.  Six— the  two  Beth- 
saidas,  Capernaum,  Chorazin,  Tiberias,  and  Magdala — being 
important.  Now  the  population  is  small,  and  nothing  remains 
of  these  once  flourishing  places  except  huts  and  shapeless 
ruins.  There  were  three  boats  upon  the  lake;  we  procured 
one  and  spent  four  hours  in  visiting  the  different  points.  It 
was  an  uncouth  craft,  and  though  several  men  were  employed 
to  row  it,  they  could  not  make  a  speed  of  more  than  two  and 
a  half  miles  per  hour.  At  last  we  reached  the  upper  end  of  the 
sea,  and  the  point  where  the  muddy  Jordan  plunges  in  with 
astonishing  force.  For  more  than  a  mile  its  dirty  waters  pol- 
lute the  lake,  but  it  emerges  from  the  other  end  as  pure  as  the 
sparkling  Saco  or  the  Bear  Camp  which  Whittier  describes  in 
"Among  the  Hills."  As  we  sat  upon  the  shore  we  beheld  in 
fancy  the  long  distance  already  traversed  from  the  Dead  Sea 
up  through  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Jordan  to  the  Sea  of 
Galilee.  It  is  not  wonderful  that  the  Jews  should  revere  the 
Jordan,  for  there  is  no  river  like  it  in  the  world; — plunging 
through  this  depressed  basin,  maintaining  its  identity  as  it 
rushes  through  the  lake,  and  hastening  on  to  be  forever 
swallowed  up  in  the  awful  basaltic  abyss  to  which  the  world 
has  given  the  appalling  but  truthful  name — The  Dead  Sea. 

On  Galilee  we  witnessed  a  scene  never  to  be  forgotten. 
Seven  men  were  fishing  in  a  rude  boat;  some  were  naked, 
others  nearly  so,  all  bareheaded  and  barefooted.  The  bottom 


468  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

of  their  boat  was  nearly  covered  with  live  fish,  which  they 
had  just  caught.  The  Lake  of  Gennesaret  to-day  abounds 
with  fish  of  many  kinds,  some  not  usually  found  except  in 
tropical  countries.  Few  are  caught,  because  there  are  few 
to  catch  them.  How  vividly  this  scene  brought  back  the 
gospel  narrative.  As  they  fished,  so  did  Simon  Peter;  as  we 
stood  upon  the  shore  and  looked  upon  them,  so  did  the 
greatest  One  whose  feet  ever  trod  the  earth  stand,  as  he 
said:  "Children,  have  ye  any  meat ?" 

Had  we  desired,  we  could  not  have  visited  the  shore  oppo- 
site to  that  upon  which  we  were  encamped; — at  least  without  a 
large  force  to  protect  us,  it  being  in  possession  of  wild, 
marauding  Bedouins. 

The  ruins  of  Capernaum  are  only  about  two  miles  from  the 
Jordan.  The  thistles  grow  high  enough  to  hide  them  all,  but 
to  those  who  are  willing  to  study  patiently  they  speak  im- 
pressively of  the  things  that  have  been,  and  help  the  Bible 
student  to  recall  the  scenes  of  which  he  reads.  Here  are 
plain  indications  of  a  synagogue,  and  many  antiquarians 
believe  it  to  be  the  ruins  of  the  very  building  in  which  Christ 
preached  the  sermon  in  John  vi. 

Chorazin  is  supposed  to  have  been  about  two  and  a  half 
miles  from  Capernaum,  and  Bethsaida  not  very  far  away. 
Jesus  spent  so  much  time  at  Capernaum  that  it  was  called 
"his  own  city,"  and  his  opportunities  of  spreading  the  truth 
were  far  greater  here  than  they  could  have  been  in  isolated 
Nazareth.  Here  Jes-us  found  Peter,  James,  and  John;  and  his 
first  interview  and  the  miracle  of  the  astonishing  draught  of 
fishes  are  described  in  the  fifth  of  Luke.  When  Jesus  "went 
into  a  ship  and  sat,  and  the  whole  multitude  stood  on  the 
shore,"  a  large  vessel  must  not  be  imagined,  but  a  small  boat 
with  one  or  two  sails.  It  was  on  this  sea  that  he  slept,  and 
arose  and  rebuked  the  winds  of  the  sea;  here  that  Peter  saw 
him  walking,  and  essayed  to  go  to  him,  but  sinking  cried: 
"Lord,  save,  or  I  perish."  From  Capernaum  Jesus  sent 
Peter  down  to  the  sea  to  catch  "  the  fish  that  first  cometh  up: 
and  when  thou  hast  opened  his  mouth,  thou  shalt  find  a  piece  of 
money:  that  take,  and  give  unto  them  for  me  and  thee." 

There  seems  to  be   a    discrepancy  between    the   accounts 


o 


FROM  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE  TO  HERMON.  471 

given  by  the  evangelists  of  the  locality  of  the  miracle  where 
the  devils  were  allowed  to  go  into  the  swine,  and  ran  violently 
down  a  steep  place  into  the  sea;  and  ancient  manuscripts  and 
traditions  do  not  materially  assist  in  settling  the  question. 
Some  archaeologists  try  to  make  it  appear  that  the  swine  had 
a  sharp  gallop  of  about  two  hours  before  they  plunged  into  the 
water;  others  following  the  direct  statements  of  Matthew  have 
no  difficulty  in  determining  the  place. 

Speaking  generally,  the  gospels  would  serve  as  a  guidebook 
to  the  traveler  upon  these  shores.  No  change  has  taken  place 
except  in  the  distribution  of  population  and  the  decay  of  cities. 
I  was  continually  astonished  by  the  graphic  descriptions  of  the 
New  Testament.  In  the  two  or  three  days  we  were  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Lake  of  Gennesaret  we  were  constantly 
absorbed  in  the  coincidences  and  sometimes  startled  by  the 
sudden  vivid  impressions  of  Bible  realities  with  which  the  air, 
the  water,  the  hills,  the  sky,  and  the  shores  throbbed. 

At  night  the  cries  of  jackals  and  the  howls  of  hyenas  as 
they  came  forth  from  their  caverns,  waking  from  their  all-day 
sleep  after  their  manner,  to  seek  their  prey  in  darkness,  re- 
minded us  even  more  forcibly  of  the  half-wild  character  of 
the  whole  region. 

The  second  point  selected  for  our  camp  was  Ain-et-Tin,  or 
Fig  Spring.  Papyrus,  of  which  were  made  the  manuscripts  of 
antiquity,  still  grows  plentifully  in  this  vicinity.  The  region  is 
marshy,  and,  though  the  place  is  pleasant  for  camping  on  a 
warm  day,  at  night  it  becomes  damp. 

When  we  could  linger  no  longer  we  took  the  most  direct  road 
to  Banias,  which  soon  became  very  bad,  though  it  is  the  ancient 
caravan  route  from  Damascus  to  Egypt.  We  passed  a  huge 
encampment  of  agricultural  Bedouins,  and,  for  the  first  time, 
saw  among  these  ancient  nomads  something  like  living. 
They  had  control  or  actual  possession  of  the  plain  for  miles, 
their  horses  were  fine,  and  the  appearance  of  prosperity  was 
pleasant  to  behold.  From  the  site  of  this  encampment  the 
backward  view  included  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and  its  shores 
and  the  distant  mountains  which  we  had  descended  from  Naz- 
areth. The  forward  glance  included  Hermon  with  its  white 
glitter  and  Lebanon  with  its  cedars. 


472  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

At  the  Khan  Jubb  Yusef  (Joseph's  Well)  they  show  the  pit, 
certainly  deep  enough  to  put  Joseph  in,  but  as  the  Arabian  geog- 
raphers were  ignorant  of  the  situation  of  the  Hebrews  in  his 
time  their  opinions  on  this  subject  are  worthless. 

Leaving  the  dirty  khan  we  soon  came  to  the  Lake  Huleh 
region,  having  risen  nearly  a  thousand  feet  since  we  left  the 
Sea  of  Galilee,  for  this  lake — four  and  a  half  by  three  and  a 
half  miles,  and  ten  or  twelve  feet  deep — is  three  hundred  feet 
above  the  Mediterranean.  This  is  spoken  of  in  Joshua  xi  as 
the  waters  of  Merom.  The  buffaloes  of  the  Bedouins  wallow 
in  the  swamps,  and  pelicans,  ducks,  and  other  waterfowl  are 
numerous.  Here  Joshua  overthrew  Jabin,  King  of  Hazor. 

We  took  luncheon  at  Dan,  now  known  as  Tel-el-kadi,  the 
"  Hill  of  the  Judge,"  a  beautiful  as  well  as  an  interesting  spot 
historically.  The  mound  is  about  sixty  feet  high,  and  nearly 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide;  beneath  it  "bursts  a  beautiful  crys- 
tal spring,"  and  a  huge  pine  tree  stands  there,  with  charming 
little  streams  running  apparently  free  among  its  roots.  This 
is  one  of  the  fountains  of  the  Jordan.  The  Phoenicians  called 
this  place  Laish.  The  Danites  were  a  desperate  clan.  They 
slew  the  people  and  erected  the  images  they  had  stolen  on  the 
way.  One  of  the  golden  calves  of  Jeroboam  was  set  up  here,  and 
hither  came  Benhadad  and  brought  the  Danites  into  subjection. 

A  Mohammedan  sepulcher  under  a  magnificent  oak  near  by 
is  an  impressive  object.  That  strange  anticipative  fancy 
which  many  love  to  indulge  concerning  the  place  and  circum- 
stances of  their  burial,  could  hardly  select  a  more  attractive 
couch  than  this  on  which  to  sleep  the  years  away. 

While  at  Dan  we  observed  Bedouins  of  the  better  sort,  who 
were  watering  their  horses.  At  a  distance  they  appeared 
savage,  but,  on  scanning  them  narrowly,  signs  of  a  native  po- 
liteness and  kindness  were  seen.  I  was  particularly  pleased 
with  the  tenderness  shown  by  the  women  to  their  infants. 
Children  everywhere  are  cheerful  if  in  health,  and  the  faces  of 
these  little  Bedouins  needed  only  washing  to  compare  well  with 
those  of  boys  and  girls  anywhere. 

When  we  left  Dan  we  passed  out  of  Palestine.  As  we 
began  to  ascend  Hermon,  scenes  of  singular  beauty  and 
freshness  came  into  view;  brooks  emerging  from  deep,  green 


FROM  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE  TO  HERMON.  473 

woods;  here  and  there  an  incipient  cataract,  filling  the 
groves  with  melodious  rhythm  ;  breezes  rustling  among  the 
leaves,  mingled  with  the  songs  of  birds;  wild  flowers  of  every 
hue,  exhaling  a  fragrance  which  brought  back  the  sweet  per- 
fume of  the  early  buds  of  spring  in  the  far-off  home  beyond 
the  great  deep. 

That  night  we  encamped  at  Banias,  having  ascended  nearly 
five  hundred  feet  in  perpendicular  height  since  starting  from 
Dan.  It  lies  between  two  valleys,  and  near  a  third;  hence  it 
has  been  called  "a  triangular  terrace  in  a  nook  of  the  Hermon 
mountains. "  The  slope  is  cultivated  nearly  all  the  way  from 
the  plain,  and  the  abundance  of  water  in  that  climate  covers 
the  entire  region  either  with  woods  or  other  forms  of  vegetable 
life,  reminding  one  of  the  vales  and  hills  of  Ireland. 

The  ancient  name  of  Banias  was  Paneas,  and  there  are  his- 
toric remains  of  a  civilization  other  than  that  of  the  Hebrews 
and  the  Phoenicians.  Originally  it  was  the  name  of  a  district 
which  fell  to  Philip  the  Tetrarch,  the  son  of  Herod,  who  added 
to  it  and  called  it  C?esarea;  the  word  Philippi  was  appended 
both  to  honor  him  and  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Caesarea  in 
Palestine,  upon  the  Mediterranean.  At  present  it  is  a  village 
of  sixty  or  seventy  houses,  a  center  of  trade  to  the  surrounding 
country,  and  we  were  interested  in  looking  into  the  stores 
where  Manchester  prints  are  sold,  and  an  assortment  of  other 
familiar  articles.  Ruins  are  numerous,  and  far  above  towers  a 
castle,  more  than  a  thousand  feet  long,  whose  foundations  are 
of  large  blocks  beautifully  wrought.  On  one  side  the  wall  is 
built  on  a  precipice  six  hundred  feet  high.  Near  Banias  are 
the  ruins  of  a  temple  of  Pan. 

While  we  were  sleeping,  the  Turkish  guard  suddenly  began 
firing  and  aroused  the  encampment.  According  to  his  tale 
two  men  were  attempting  to  enter  the  tent  to  steal.  One  of 
our  friends  had  been  robbed  a  few  nights  before.  His  wife 
had  wrapped  her  jewels  in  a  skirt,  which  was  stolen;  but  the 
thieves,  not  having  any  appreciation  of  Western  feminine  ap- 
parel, threw  it  away.  Some  one  found  and  brought  it  back  a 
day  or  two  afterward,  with  its  contents,  worth  several  thou- 
sand dollars,  untouched.  Whether  there  was  an  attempt  to 
rob  us  we  could  not  be  certain.  The  guard  may  have  desired 


474  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

to  elevate  himself  in  our  eyes  in  order  to  receive  a  reward  for 
watchfulness.  Such  marauding  attacks  are  not  uncommon, 
and  without  bribing  the  officials  it  is  difficult  to  secure  the 
making  of  vigilant  efforts  to  capture  the  thieves  or  recover  the 
property. 

We  climbed  to  the  entrance  of  the  cavern  from  which  bursts 
forth  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  the  Jordan.  Near  it  are 
ancient  niches,  a  few  being  in  the  form  of  shells.  Over  one  is 
an  inscription  in  Greek:  "Priest  of  Pan."  We  cannot  find  a 
specific  connection  between  Banias  and  Bible  history,  but  there 
are  several  passages  which  indicate  that  Joshua's  victories  in- 
cluded this  region.  Biblical  geographers  consider  Baal-Gad 
the  same  as  Baal-Hermon,  a  title  which  shows  that  long  before 
Greek  times  Baal  was  worshiped  here.  After  Titus  destroyed 
Jerusalem  he  came  here  and  celebrated  his  victory  with  gladi- 
atorial combats,  in  which  Jews  fought  with  wild  beasts  and 
with  each  other.  During  the  Crusades  it  was  the  rallying 
place  for  Christians,  and  was  frequently  captured,  but  was 
conquered  by  them  later,  and  again  retaken  by  the  Moham- 
medans. 

The  grotto  from  which  the  fountain  of  the  Jordan  gushes 
through  upland  meadows  of  mint  and  oleander  thickets,  re- 
sembles an  artificial  excavation  somewhat  in  ruins.  Masses  of 
broken  rocks  render  the  entrance  almost  impassable,  and  al- 
most hide  it;  but  underneath  these  it  forms  a  kind  of  arch. 
Those  who  cannot  go  there  may  find  analogies  in  the  sources 
of  the  San  Antonio  and  San  Pedro  Rivers,  of  Texas;  the  Hud- 
son and  the  Delaware  give  suggestions  to  those  willing  to 
penetrate  to  their  springs — the  former  in  the  heart  of  the 
Adirondacks,  the  latter  in  the  region  of  the  Catskills. 

The  rush  of  the  Jordan  fountains  is  vastly  greater  than  these 
last,  though  the  Texas  rivers  lack  only  the  grotto  and  the  ele- 
vation to  complete  the  parallel.  Much  more  water  flows  forth 
at  Dan  than  here,  but  it  does  not  unite  with  these  fountains 
through  any  well-marked  channel.  The  water  from  Banias 
unites  with  two  other  sources  four  or  five  miles  below  Dan. 
The  river  thus  formed  is,  at  the  confluence,  about  forty-five 
feet  wide.  As  all  the  water  which  flows  from  under  the  hill  at 
Dan  finds  its  way  into  the  plain  and  thence  into  the  other 


FROM  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE  TO  HERMON.  475 

streams  indirectly,  the  sources  of  the  Jordan  are  the  fountain 
at  Banias,  the  Hashbanny  which  rises  "  higher  up  in  the  moun- 
tains," and  the  fountain  at  Dan.  Josephus  always  speaks  of 
the  last  named  as  "  the  little  Jordan,"  and  it  has  been  long 
emphasized  in  common  language  as  the  source,  since  it  pro- 
duces more  water  than  the  other  two;  but  the  height  from 
which  they  start  gives  an  impetus  which  maintains  their 
separate  streams. 

We  had  now  followed  the  sacred  river  of  the  Jews  from  its 
grave  in  the  Dead  Sea  to  its  birthplace  far  up  among  the  moun- 
tains of  Hermon.  Every  simile  that  poet  could  desire  is 
here — fountains,  tributaries,  brooklets,  cataracts,  "stormy 
banks,"  "swellings,"  swift,  resistless  current,  treacherous 
depths,  quicksands,  the  blue,  placid,  but  deceitful  lake,  inun- 
dations, wooded  shores,  now  pellucid  and  again  turbid  waters, 
and  last  the  dreadful  sulphurous  saline  abyss,  fitly  named  the 
Dead  Sea. 

While  Old  Testament  references  are  vague,  those  of  the  New 
are  quite  distinct.  It  was  at  Caesarea  Philippi — that  is,  in  this 
immediate  vicinity — that  Jesus  asked  his  disciples,  saying: 
"Whom  do  men  say  that  I  the  Son  of  man  am?"  and  here 
that  Simon  Peter  answered  and  said:  "Thou  art  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God;  "  here  that  Jesus  said:  "I  say  also 
unto  thee,  That  thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build 
my  church;  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it." 
Whether  Jesus  came  into  the  city  cannot  be  ascertained. 
Near  it  was  a  mighty  rock,  upon  which  the  temple  of  Augustus, 
which  Herod  the  Great  had  erected,  then  stood,  above  the 
source  of  the  Jordan.  Inscribed  around  the  majestic  dome  of 
St.  Peter's  at  Rome  are  these  words  in  mosaic:  "Tit  es  Petrus 
et  super  hanc  petram  cedificabo  ecclesiam  meam,  et  tibi  dabo  claves 
regni  calorum  "  ("Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will 
build  my  Church,  and  I  give  to  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ").  It  is  thought  by  some  that  this  inscription  may 
have  been  suggested  by  this  rock,  which  also  may  have  influ- 
enced the  form  of  the  conversation.  The  Transfiguration  is 
by  most  modern  critics  believed  to  have  taken  place  here. 
The  earliest  traditions  unquestionably  placed  it  on  Tabor;  and 
even  those  who  cannot  acquiesce  in  that  opinion  have  agreed 


476  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

that  no  mountain  would  so  fully  "satisfy  our  feelings  in  this 
respect  as  the  lofty,  majestic,  beautiful  Tabor."  It  is  ob- 
jected that  so  early  as  the  time  when  Tabor  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Israelites,  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Joshua,  it  was  occu- 
pied by  a  town  and  by  fortresses;  and  Josephus  declares  that 
he  strengthened  the  fortification  of  a  city  there  about  A.  D.  60. 
By  the  side  of  these  statements  is  placed  the  account  of  the 
Transfiguration,  which  says  that  "Jesus  took  his  disciples  up 
into  a  high  mountain  apart,  and  was  transfigured  before  them. " 
From  Matt,  xvii  we  would  infer  that  it  was  upon  the  summit. 
What,  now,  is  to  be  said  for  Csesarea  Philippi  ?  The  chief  point 
made  is  that  our  Lord's  miracle  immediately  preceding  was  at 
that  place.  Matt,  xvi,  3,  represents  him  as  coming  into  the 
coasts  of  Caesarea  Philippi.  Mark  viii,  27,  also  places  him  there. 

Mount  Tabor  is  a  little  more  than  fifty  miles  from  Mount 
Hermon.  If  our  Lord  were  represented  as  ascending  the 
Mount  of  Transfiguration  immediately  after  the  miracle  which 
he  performed  in  Caesarea  Philippi,  the  case  would  be  clear 
against  Tabor;  but  Matthew  (xvii,  i)  says:  "And  after  six 
days  Jesus  taketh  Peter,  James,  and  John  his  brother,  and 
bringeth  them  up  into  an  high  mountain  apart."  Mark  uses  the 
same  expression,  except  "leadeth  them  up  into  an  high  moun- 
tain apart  by  themselves."  Luke  says:  "About  an  eight  days 
after  these  sayings,  he  took  "  them.  There  was  ample  time  for 
the  journey  to  Tabor;  an  average  walk  of  nine  miles  a  day 
would  have  accomplished  it.  As  for  the  fortifications  on 
Tabor,  it  is  not  certain  or  even  probable  that  no  solitary  spot 
upon  the  extreme  summit  existed  where  the  scene  could  have 
taken  place  privately.  The  almost  inaccessible  summits  of 
Hermon  tower  more  than  seven  thousand  feet  above  Caesarea 
Philippi,  and  the  language  of  the  gospels  represents  a  separate 
mountain,  and  an  ascent  of  it. 

Though  the  question  cannot  be  decided  positively,  the  proba- 
bilities seem  stronger  for  Tabor  than  for  the  vicinity  of  Banias. 

The  advocates  of  the  former  may  sing: 

"When,  in  ecstasy  sublime, 
Tabor's  glorious  steep  I  climb, 
At  the  too  transporting  light. 
Darkness  rushes  o'er  my  sight." 


FROM  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE  TO  HERMON. 

Those  who  prefer  the  latter  may  chant: 

"  O  Master,  it  is  good  to  be 
Entranced,  enrapt,  alone  with  thee  ; 
And  watch  thy  glistering  raiment  glow 
Whiter  than  Hermon's  whitest  snow." 


477 


Mount  Hermon. 

It  was  a  steady  climb  up  the  slope  of  Hermon  over  bad 
roads.  As  we  descended,  a  romantic  object  came  in  sight — a 
mill  in  the  outskirts  of  a  Druse  village,  Mejdel,  in  a  plantation 
of  silver  poplars.  These  are  a  mysterious  people,  and  to- 
gether with  the  Maronites,  their  traditional  foes,  are  frequently 
spoken  of  in  dispatches  concerning  Syrian  troubles.  Their 
reciprocal  hatred  is  historical. 

The  Druses  are  a  sect  of  Mohammedans,  founded  by 
Hakem,  a  native  of  Cairo,  a  Fatimite  Caliph. 

I  met  a  Druse,  but  could  not  draw  much  solid  information 
from  him.  Draping  all  their  forms  in  mystery,  and  employing 
figurative  language,  they  exert  a  great  influence  upon  their  fol- 


478  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

lowers  by  successive  degrees  of  initiation.  Among  other 
strange  things  which  they  believe  are  the  doctrine  of  the  trans- 
migration of  souls,  and  the  notion  that  there  is  always  the 
same  number  of  men  living  in  the  world.  Tobacco  they  utterly 
renounce  and  prohibit.  They  worship  in  solitary  chapels, 
whose  location  is  chosen  in  desolate  places,  and  personally 
they  are  ambitious,  brave,  hospitable,  and  amiable.  Many 
have  departed  from  the  region  through  which  we  were  passing, 
and  settled  in  the  Hauran  Mountains. 

Maronites  form  a  curious  Roman  Catholic  sect,  dating  from 
400,  but  they  were  not  wholly  subjected  by  the  Roman 
Catholics  until  about  three  hundred  years  ago,  and  have 
always  demanded  and  received  special  privileges  from  the 
pope.  The  lower  clergy  are  allowed  to  marry,  and  instead  of 
reading  mass  in  Latin  they  are  allowed  to  read  it  in  Syrian. 
Intellectually  they  have  attained  little  development,  but  are 
energetic.  I  procured  one  of  their  catechisms,  and  it  is  upon 
a  plan  which  leaves  little  or  nothing  to  choose  between  them 
and  their  enemies.  The  Roman  Catholics  have  been  endeav- 
oring to  induce  them  to  say  mass  in  Latin,  and  the  graduates 
of  the  Maronite  College  in  Rome  comply  with  the  instruction, 
except  in  the  reading  of  the  gospel,  which  is  in  Arabic. 

In  1860  the  Druses  attacked  them  with  fury,  and  though  far 
inferior  in  numbers  destroyed  their  capital  and  massacred  many. 

Hermon  is  worthy  of  the  title  of  the  Mont  Blanc  of  Pal- 
estine, for  it  extends  about  twenty  miles  and  is  divided  into 
three  peaks,  the  highest  of  which  rises  ten  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea — a  solid  mass  of  limestone  with  layers  of 
chalk,  the  greater  part  of  it  covered  with  snow.  As  formerly, 
the  snow  of  Hermon  is  used  to  cool  summer  beverages.  Leb- 
anon is  a  few  hundred  feet  higher,  but  its  position  is  less  com- 
manding. 

We  proceeded  on  our  way  to  Damascus.  Ascending  and 
descending,  never  out  of  sight  of  this  white  dome,  turning 
our  eyes  from  beautiful  flowers  to  volcanic  rocks,  and  from 
these  to  curious  piles  of  stone  marking  the  sites  of  ancient 
villages;  and  from  these  to  varieties  of  trees  which  we  had  not 
noticed  before  in  Syria,  among  them  myrtles;  and  again  to  ex- 
tinct craters,  until  finally  the  plain,  bathed  in  the  light  of  the 


FROM  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE  TO  HERMON.  479 

midday  sun,  burst  upon  our  gaze;  now  resembling  the  deserts 
of  Egypt  as  seen  from  the  summit  of  the  Great  Pyramid,  and 
then  a  prairie  of  greenest  hue,  and  as  the  point  of  view  was 
changed  seeming  like  Lake  Superior  on  a  calm  day. 

Our  midday  meal  was  partaken  of  under  the  shadow  of  a 
great  rock.  A  portion  of  the  way  led  along  the  course  of  a 
brook,  a  tributary  of  the  ancient  Pharpar.  Our  camp  was 
pitched  at  Kefr-Hawar,  and  early  the  next  morning  we  re- 
sumed the  march. 

The  journey  across  the  plain  was  the  most  wearisome  yet 
experienced  in  Asia,  and  the  most  exhausting  since  leaving 
home.  Unwisely  we  resolved  to  reach  Damascus  before  din- 
ner, and  this  involved  seven  hours  in  the  saddle  on  a  burning 
desert  destitute  of  shade,  with  the  temperature  that  of  the 
hottest  July  or  August  day  in  this  country.  We  came  to  the 
road  built  by  the  Romans  from  Damascus  to  Palestine  and 
Egypt.  Villages  surrounded  by  orchards  and  vineyards  break 
the  monotony  ;  and  we  crossed  a  beautiful  river,  called  the 
Nahr-Barbar,  believed  to  be  a  corruption  of  the  ancient 
Pharpar. 

The  point  of  intersection  of  our  path  with  the  old  Roman 
road  is  traditionally  held,  and  with  probable  reason,  to  be  the 
spot  described  in  these  words:  "And  as  he  journeyed,  he 
came  near  Damascus:  and  suddenly  there  shined  round  about 
him  a  light  from  heaven:  and  he  fell  to  the  earth,  and  heard 
a  voice  saying  unto  him,  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou 
me?  .  .  .  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Arise,  and  go  into  the 
city,  and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou  must  do.  .  .  .  And 
Saul  arose  from  the  earth;  and  when  his  eyes  were  opened,  he 
saw  no  man :  but  they  led  him  by  the  hand,  and  brought  him 
into  Damascus."  Drawing  near  the  city  everything  under- 
went a  change:  sparkling  streams,  the  plain  "with  verdure 
clad,"  the  white  minarets  and  mosques  made  one  feel  as  if 
he  were  approaching  an  enchanted  city.  But  the  heat  was  so 
terrible,  that,  fearing  sunstroke,  I  dismounted  to  bathe  my 
head  in  the  cool  and  refreshing  waters  flowing  down  from 
Hermon.  These  dissipated  the  alarming  symptoms,  and  at 
3  P.  M.  we  reached  the  city  gate. 
25 


480  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER    LVIII. 
Damascus. 

Antiquity  and  Beauty  of  the  City — History  of  the  Great  Mosque — Mas- 
sacre of  the  Christians — The  Street  that  is  Called  Straight — Improb- 
able Legends — Protestant  Mission — Grave  of  Henry  Thomas  Buckle — 
Salahiyeh. 

DAMASCUS  was  an  old  city  in  the  time  of  Abraham,  whose 
prayer  is  recorded  in  Gen.  xv:  "Lord  God,  what  wilt  thou 
give  me,  seeing  I  go  childless,  and  the  steward  of  my  house 
is  this  Eliezer  of  Damascus?  "  Tradition  makes  it  much  older, 
locating  the  murder  of  Abel  at  this  place,  to  which  Shakespeare 
refers  in  "  King  Henry  VI:  " 

"  WINCHESTER  :  Nay,  stand  thou  back  ; 
I'll  not  budge  a  foot ; 
This  be  Damascus,  be  thou  cursed  Cain 
To  slay  thy  brother  Abel,  if  thou  wilt." 

David  conquered  it  in  a  bloody  war,  described  in  2  Samuel. 
Elijah  and  Elisha  frequently  visited  it,  and  the  Books  of 
Samuel  and  Kings  abound  with  accounts  of  wars  between  the 
Israelites  and  the  Damascenes.  Ezekiel  describes  its  great 
prosperity  in  the  vision  of  Tyre:  ''Damascus  was  thy  mer- 
chant in  the  multitude  of  the  wares  of  thy  making,  for  the 
multitude  of  all  riches;  in  the  wine  of  Helbon,  and  white 
wool."  It  obtains  its  beauty  and  fertility  from  "the  streams 
from  Lebanon." 

Next  to  the  relation  of  Paul  to  Damascus,  the  story  of  the 
interview  between  Elisha  and  Naaman  invests  it  with  interest 
to  the  Bible  student.  He  had  good  reason  to  say,  "Are  not 
Abana  and  Pharpar,  rivers  of  Damascus,  better  than  all  the 
waters  of  Israel?  may  I  not  wash  in  them,  and  be  clean?  " 
No  doubt  since  that  time  these  rivers  have  changed  their 
channels,  like  all  streams  in  plains  and  deserts,  but  the  con- 
figuration of  the  country  and  the  sources  of  the  streams,  as  in 


DAMASCUS.  483 

the  Mississippi  and  the  Nile,  are  such  as  to  show  that  these 
rivers  are  essentially  the  same  as  those  spoken  of  in  the  Bible 
as  situated  here.  The  Arabians  have  always  considered  Da- 
mascus as  the  best  earthly  type  of  Paradise.  Its  situation, 
streams,  and  fruits  harmonize  with  the  description  in  the 
Koran.  The  city  is  charming  and  imposing,  lying  on  the 
edge  of  a  desert  nearly  half  a  mile  above  the  sea  level,  and 
bounded  on  the  other  sides  by  mountains. 

To  the  northward  is  the  range  of  Anti-Libanus  opposed  on 
the  west  by  Mount  Hermon,  dwarfing  the  volcanic  mountains 
in  the  south. 

The  lakes  which  are  near  and  the  streams  running  through 
the  city  are  filled  with  water  of  unusual  clearness.  One  of  the 
rivers  divides  into  seven  branches,  two  filling  the  conduits 
that  supply  the  city,  and  the  others  watering  suburban 
orchards. 

Like  most  oriental  cities  Damascus  is  divided  into  quarters, 
Jews,  Christians,  and  Moslems  living  separately.  In  general 
character  Damascus  is  similar  to  Cairo;  the  bazaars  are  at- 
tractive features  to  strangers,  for  in  them  the  products  of  the 
East  are  displayed,  and  mechanics  may  be  seen  at  work. 

I  went  to  the  horse  market,  but  could  not  find  any  of  the 
magnificent  animals  such  as  in  ancient  times  were  common 
in  Syria,  and  doubt  whether  the  Arabians  ever  had  finer 
horses  than  are  raised  in  Kentucky.  The  saddle  market  is  a 
gay  display,  as  the  Syrians  always  made  much  of  decorations  of 
that  kind.  We  had  been  put  on  our  guard  against  the  dealers 
who  begin  by  demanding  extortionate  prices,  sometimes  finally 
selling  the  goods  for  less  than  a  quarter  of  what  was  at  first 
charged.  The  glory  of  the  Damascus  blade  has  departed, 
and  the  daggers  sold  are  said  to  be  made  of  an  inferior  article 
of  steel  brought  from  Germany.  The  tobacco-using  habits  of 
the  people  cause  a  demand  for  all  kinds  of  pipes,  the  stems  of 
which  are  of  cork. 

An  extensive  business  is  done  in  the  sale  of  the  fez.  By  a 
small  investment  we  transformed  ourselves  into  Turks,  but 
found  the  caps  too  warm  for  use.  One  of  the  things  which 
surprise  strangers  is  that  in  that  hot  climate  men  will  wear  a 
form  of  head-covering  giving  no  protection  to  the  eyes  and 


484  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

warm  enough  for  the  cold  days  of  an  American  winter.  None 
of  the  merchants  are  in  haste;  all  who  were  not  busy  were 
smoking,  praying,  reading  the  Koran,  or  conversing.  They 
appeared  to  be  on  good  terms  with  each  other,  but  are  united 
in  a  desire  to  allure  to  the  utmost  possible  extent  unwary 
travelers. 

Mohammedan  fatalism  has  some  curious  features,  one  of 
which  is  mentioned  by  Baedeker,  who  says  there  is  no 
jealousy  between  rival  venders  of  similar  wares.  If  one  who 
has  nothing  to  do  sees  another  driving  a  fine  trade  he  simply 
says:  ''Allah  has  sent  a  good  customer  to  my  neighbor,  and 
will  in  due  time  send  me  one  also."  An  extensive  business  is 
done  in  clothing,  as  the  people  sleep  in  their  clothes  and  soon 
wear  them  out.  Barbers  work  in  the  open  air,  whether  they 
are  shaving  or  bleeding;  for  when  a  native  feels  ill  he  steps 
into  a  barber's  shop  and  submits  to  phlebotomy  to  the  extent 
of  half  a  pint  or  more,  after  which  he  departs  with  the  con- 
viction that  he  must  be  better. 

The  tombs  of  three  of  Mohammed's  wives  are  in  the  Da- 
mascus burying  ground,  and  the  view  of  the  city  from  that 
cemetery  is  one  of  the  best.  Probably  the  largest  plane  tree  in 
the  world  is  on  the  river  bank  near  the  Saddlers'  Bazaar.  The 
trunk  is  more  than  four  yards  in  diameter. 

Where  the  Great  Mosque  now  stands  there  once  was  a 
heathen  temple  in  which  pagan  rites  were  performed  until  the 
growth  of  Christianity  caused  it  to  fall  into  decay,  but  about 
the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century  it  was  restored  and  trans- 
formed into  a  church.  Its  managers  said  they  had  the  head  of 
John  the  Baptist — one  of  the  many  heads  of  John  that  are  in 
different  parts  of  the  world.  After  Mohammedanism  arose  the 
eastern  part  of  the  church  was  taken  possession  of  by  them, 
and  for  years  the  western  left  to  the  Christians.  Finally  it  was 
taken  by  the  Mohammedans,  and  this  mosque  erected  upon  the 
foundations.  Ferguson  gives  an  account  of  the  seizure.  The 
Caliph  entered  the  church  with  guards  and  ordered  them  to  re- 
move or  destroy  every  vestige  of  Christian  worship, and  standing 
upon  the  altar,  he  directed  the  work.  There  being  an  image  of 
Christ  near,  one  of  his  followers  said:  "  Prince  of  the  Faithful, 
I  tremble  for  your  safety;  the  power  of  that  image  against 


DAMASCUS.  487 

which  you  lean  may  be  exerted  against  you."  "  Fear  not  for 
me,"  replied  the  proud  Moslem,  "for  the  very  first  spot  on 
which  1  shall  lay  my  battle-ax  will  be  that  image's  head." 
Thus  saying  he  lifted  his  weapon  and  dashed  the  idol  to  pieces. 
The  Christians  raised  a  cry  of  horror,  but  their  voices  were 
drowned  in  the  triumphant  shout  "Ullah-u-Akbar"  The  Ara- 
bians pretend  that  supernatural  beings  assisted  in  erecting  the 
church,  and  (which  has  some  foundation)  that  one  thousand 
two  hundred  Greek  artists  were  brought  from  Constantinople 
to  decorate  it.  In  its  grandest  days  six  hundred  golden  lamps 
hung  from  the  ceiling.  The  mosque  is  four  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  feet  long  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  and  a 
half  feet  wide.  As  the  wall  was  not  entirely  destroyed,  what 
was  left  is  a  part  of  the  mosque,  on  which  is  written  an  ancient 
inscription  in  Greek:  "  Thy  kingdom,  O  Christ,  is  an  everlast- 
ing kingdom,  and  thy  dominion  endureth  throughout  all  gen- 
erations," a  quotation  from  the  i4$th  Psalm,  with  the  words 
"  O  Christ  "  inserted. 

Saladin,  whose  virtues  were  recognized  even  by  the  Chris- 
tians while  they  were  terrified  by  his  power  and  overthrown 
by  his  victories,  is  counted  among  the  Mohammedan  saints. 
It  was  Saladin  who  took  Damascus,  Aleppo,  Diarbekir,  drove 
back  Renaud  de  Chatillon,  and  defeated  the  Christian  army  at 
Tiberias,  captured  Guy  de  Lusignan,  who  called  himself  King 
of  Jerusalem,  finally  besieged  and  took  Jerusalem  and  drove  all 
the  Franks  from  the  country.  It  was  he  who  took  the  gold 
cross  from  the  dome  of  the  Mosque  of  Omar  and  purified  the 
edifice  with  rose  water,  and  reconverted  it  from  a  Christian 
church  to  a  Mohammedan  sanctuary.  Not  till  Richard  I  dis- 
tinguished himself  by  the  exploits  which  gave  him  the  name  of 
Coeur  de  Lion,  did  he  meet  a  serious  check.  Saladin  was  un- 
doubtedly the  greatest  warrior  that  Mohammedanism  has 
produced,  and  equally  distinguished  for  "temperance  and 
chastity,  humanity  and  generosity,  patience  and  affability;" 
wherever  he  went  he  built  hospitals,  colleges,  and  mosques. 
His  tomb  is  in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation. 

Of  all  wars  since  the  classic  times  the  Crusades  are  the 
most  romantic  and  best  adapted  to  stir  enthusiasm  in  the 
young. 


488  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

On  the  ninth  day  of  July,  1860,  the  Christian  quarter  was  set 
on  fire;  the  whole  Mohammedan  population  was  in  a  state  of 
wild  excitement;  hordes  of  fanatics,  Kurds,  Arabs,  and  Druses 
flocked  to  the  city,  and  for  twenty-four  hours  murder  was 
systematically  and  furiously  committed.  Six  thousand  were 
killed,  and  the  grossest  outrages  perpetrated  upon  their  wives 
and  daughters.  The  streets  were  blocked  with  the  bodies  of 
the  slain,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  courage  of  Abd-el-Kader 
they  would  have  all  been  destroyed.  I  received  accounts  of 
the  dreadful  scenes  from  some  who  were  in  the  city  at  the 
time. 

Beneath  the  affable  aspect  which  the  ordinary  Mohammedan 
presents  when  he  wishes  to  make  a  sale,  or  expects  any  advan- 
tage, lurks  a  fanaticism  that  would  find  vent  in  deeds  of  in- 
credible atrocity  were  it  not  for  the  military  stationed  there, 
and  the  fear  the  people  feel  of  foreign  powers. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Ananias,  "  Arise,  and  go  into  the 
street  which  is  called  Straight,  and  inquire  in  the  house  of 
Judas  for  one  called  Saul,  of  Tarsus."  Unquestionably  we  saw 
the  same  street,  although  it  is  not  quite  straight,  and  was  form- 
erly wider  than  it  now  is.  It  is  more  than  a  mile  in  length, 
and  ornamented  with  a  colonnade  of  which  traces  remain.  We 
visited  the  supposed  house,  which  is  converted  into  a  church. 
The  mythical  house  of  Ananias  is  shown  in  another  part  of  the 
city.  The  abode  of  Naaman  is  pointed  out  without  a  vestige 
of  probability  for  the  statement,  but  there  is  a  propriety  in 
its  being  a  leper  hospital.  Several  hospitals  for  these  poor 
wretches  exist  in  Damascus;  there  they  sit,  dying  as  they  live, 
suffering  the  horrors  of  decomposition  before  the  vital  spark 
is  extinct.  Yet  marvelous  are  the  susceptibilities  of  human 
nature :  they  chat  and  laugh,  and  appear  happy. 

Another  adventure  of  St.  Paul  took  place  here,  given  in  his 
own  words:  ''In  Damascus  the  governor  under  Aretas  the 
king  kept  the  city  of  the  Damascenes  with  a  garrison,  desirous 
to  apprehend  me :  and  through  a  window  in  a  basket  was  I  let 
down  by  the  wall,  and  escaped  his  hands."  There  is  a  gate  in 
the  wall  of  the  city,  Bab-kisan,  which  has  been  closed  for  seven 
hundred  years,  and  tradition  says  that  this  was  the  place  where 
St.  Paul  was  thus  let  down.  There  are  many  houses  along 


DAMASCUS.  489 

the  wall  where  such  a  thing  could  have  been  done.  Not  con- 
tent with  this,  they  exhibit  a  tomb  under  drooping  trees  which 
they  call  the  tomb  of  St.  George.  This  St.  George  is  the 
man  who  helped  Paul  to  escape,  and  lost  his  life  for  his  part 
in  the  matter! 

While  in  Damascus  we  had  the  pleasure  of  several  inter- 
views with  the  head  of  the  Protestant  Mission,  the  Rev.  John 
Crawford,  whom  we  found  to  be  highly  respected  and  beloved. 
The  mission  is  doing  a  good  work,  and  the  influence  of 
Mr.  Crawford  and  his  family  is  excellent. 

Accompanied  by  him  we  visited  the  Protestant  cemetery, 
a  small  inclosure  kept  under  lock  and  key.  After  trying  for 
years  to  secure  the  privilege  of  a  piece  of  ground  for  this 
purpose,  wearied  with  the  delays  of  the  Turkish  government, 
the  Christians  took  possession  of  it,  and  no  objection  has  ever 
been  urged. 

Henry  Thomas  Buckle,  the  historian  and  political  writer,  is 
buried  in  Damascus.  He  went  to  the  East,  in  the  autumn  of 

1 86 1,  in  the  hope  of  improving  his  health,  which  had  always 
been  delicate.     The  epitaph  is  brief:   "In  memory  of  Henry 
Thomas  Buckle  (only   son   of  the  late  Thomas  Buckle,  and 
Jane,  his  wife),  who  died  of  fever  in  Damascus  on  May  29, 

1862,  aged  40  years.     This  stone  is  most  affectionately  dedi- 
cated by  his  loving  and   only  surviving  sister.      '  I  know  that 
he  shall  rise  again.' ' 

Jobar  is  only  about  half  an  hour's  walk  from  the  city,  and 
the  scenery  along  the  road  is  indescribably  beautiful.  The 
place  is  inhabited  entirely  by  Mohammedans,  and  is  of  no  in- 
terest except  for  its  traditions. 

The  oldest  point  of  contact  between  this  suburb  and  the 
Old  Testament  is  in  the  declaration  that  when  Abram  rescued 
Lot  from  the  kings  he  "  smote  them,  and  pursued  them  unto 
Hobah,  which  is  on  the  left  hand  of  Damascus." 

Mohammedan  legends  cluster  about  Salahiyeh.  In  the  hills 
near  it  are  buried  thousands  of  Mohammedan  saints.  There 
Mohammed  himself,  while  yet  a  camel  driver  from  Mecca, 
gazed  upon  the  entrancing  scene,  and  turned  away  without 
entering  the  city,  saying:  "Man  can  have  but  one  paradise, 
and  my  paradise  is  fixed  above. "  They  also  hold  that  near 


490  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

this  spot  the  unity  of  God  was  revealed  to  Abraham.  The 
finest  view  we  had  of  the  suburbs  was  from  a  point  halfway 
up  an  absolutely  barren  hill,  three  or  four  miles  from  the  center 
of  the  city.  Conybeare  and  Howson's  Life  and  Epistles  of  St. 
Paul  contains  an  admirable  description  of  Damascus;  and  the 
authors  are  not  extravagant  in  saying  that  "  for  miles  round 
it  is  a  wilderness  of  gardens — gardens  with  roses  among  the 
tangled  shrubberies,  and  with  fruit  on  the  branches  overhead. 
Everywhere  among  the  trees  is  heard  the  murmur  of  unseen 
rivulets.  Even  in  the  city,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
gardens,  the  clear  rushing  of  the  currents  is  a  perpetual  re- 
freshment. Every  dwelling  has  its  fountain,  and  at  night, 
when  the  sun  has  set  behind  Mount  Lebanon,  the  lights  of 
the  city  flash  on  the  waters. " 


DAMASCUS  TO  BEIRUT.  491 


CHAPTER   LIX. 
Damascus  to  Beirut. 

Varieties  of  Weather  and  Scenery — Through  the  Lebanon  Pass— Unique 
Lunatic  Asylum— Origin  and  Situation  of  Beirut — Syrian  Protestant  College 
— Other  Christian  Missions— Grave  of  Bishop  Kingsley. 

AT  Damascus  we  dismissed  our  caravan,  separated  from 
Selim,  to  whom  we  had  become  much  attached,  and  took  the 
diligence  for  Beirut  (Beyroot). 

Wherever  the  French  build  roads,  the  traveler  is  happy 
whether  he  walks  or  rides, for  they  are  the  best  road  builders  in 
the  world.  When,  as  the  guardians  of  Roman  Catholic  inter- 
ests during  the  disturbances  in  1860,  the  French,  to  protect 
the  Christians,  sent  forces  there  and  occupied  the  country, 
they  built  a  magnificent  carriage  road  from  Damascus  to  Bei- 
rut, and  one  may  take  the  journey  of  seventy  miles  between 
5:20  A.  M.  and  5:30  P.  M.,  or  between  half  past  seven  at  night 
and  half  past  eight  in  the  morning.  Horses  are  frequently 
changed,  which  affords  ample  time  to  study  the  country. 

The  day  of  our  journey  gave  us  every  variety  of  climate: 
the  heat  of  summer  and  the  shivering  cold  of  winter,  with 
blinding  snow.  Like  every  other  path  leading  out  of  Damas- 
cus, the  way  led  through  gardens  and  conduits,  the  landscape 
being  adorned  with  trees  of  rare  beauty.  The  villas  were 
handsome;  a  small  one  is  known  as  that  of  Abd-el-Kader,  who, 
after  he  was  defeated  by  the  French,  received  a  pension  and 
was  allowed  to  live  there  on  condition  of  not  leaving  the  dis- 
trict of  Damascus. 

After  three  or  four  miles  we  reached  the  desert.  At  six 
miles  we  changed  horses,  and  entered  upon  a  fine  tract  watered 
by  the  Barada;  but  when  we  had  ridden  six  or  eight  miles  more 
we  came  to  a  desolate  wilderness,  a  portion  of  which  is  elevated 
and  used  for  encampments  and  reviews  of  the  Damascus  troops. 
Hermon,  Lebanon,  and  other  magnificent  mountains  appeared 
on  either  side;  broad  table-lands;  wild  glens  several  miles  long, 


492  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

with  legends  of  banditti;  dull  valleys  and  steep  ascents  were 
traversed.  On  leaving  the  village  of  Shtora,  whence  the 
road  diverges  to  Baalbec,  we  ascended  to  the  Lebanon  pass, 
five  thousand  six  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  Behind  were 
wild  and  barren  mountains,  and  before  us  the  path  by  which 
\ve  were  to  descend  to  Beirut.  The  houses  of  that  city  showed 
far  away  as  white  specks  upon  a  blue  ground :  that  blue  was 
the  Mediterranean,'  which  we  had  last  looked  upon  from  the 
mountains  of  Palestine. 

Half  a  day's  ride  from  this  point  is  a  lunatic  asylum  that  has 
no  parallel.  It  is  in  the  village  of  Karyaten,  and  only  the  Bed- 
ouins patronize  it.  The  process  of  cure  is  peculiar;  a  mixture 
of  faith  and  works,  and  it  is  managed  with  as  much  shrewdness 
as  the  Christian  science  and  faith  healing  operations  of  this 
country.  The  patient  is  bound  and  confined  in  a  room  by 
himself  for  a  single  night;  the  next  morning  he  is  found  cured 
and  without  his  fetters.  The  marvelous  superiority  of  this 
method  over  all  others  is  seen  in  this;  that  if  he  omits  to  pay 
for  his  miraculous  recovery  he  at  once  relapses  into  insanity. 

On  arriving  in  Beirut  we  were  met  by  Mr.  McFadden,  who 
had  been  left  in  the  hospital  at  Cairo.  After  several  weeks  of 
sickness  and  debility,  he  had  recovered  sufficiently  to  make 
the  journey  by  sea.  Disease  had  changed  him,  but  the  hope 
and  the  pleasure  of  meeting  friends  put  fresh  color  into  his 
cheeks,  and  in  three  weeks  from  that  day  he  seemed  in  better 
health  than  before  the  attack. 

Beirut  was  founded  by  the  Phoenicians,  and  was  important 
in  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great.  To-day  it  is  the  most 
important  seaport  and  commercial  town  in  all  Syria,  beauti- 
ful in  situation,  surrounded  by  mountains,  some  snow-clad, 
and  forming  a  striking  contrast  with  the  sea.  In  the  last  thirty 
years  the  population  has  quadrupled,  and  now  amounts  to 
more  than  eighty  thousand. 

The  Syrian  Protestant  College  presents  missions  at  their 
best,  and  we  were  afforded  every  facility  to  examine  them. 
Each  of  us  being  acquainted  with  President  Bliss,  or  one  or 
more  of  the  faculty,  we  enjoyed  a  rest  and  refreshment  of  sev- 
eral days  in  Beirut,  which  affected  us  as  favorably  as  did  the 
encampment  at  Elim  the  Israelites. 


DAMASCUS  TO  BEIRUT.  495 

The  American  Mission  has  been  established  in  Syria  for 
more  than  fifty  years,  and  the  names  of  Dr.  Thomson,  author 
of  The  Land  and  the  Book,  Dr.  Eli  Smith,  and  Dr.  Van  Dyke 
are  known  throughout  the  Christian  world.  The  college  was 
opened  in  1866,  though  a  preparatory  class  had  been  formed 
the  year  before.  It  has  a  complete  system  of  buildings,  among 
which  is  the  Ada  Dodge  Memorial  Hall,  erected  for  the  use  of 
the  preparatory  department  by  the  Rev.  D.  Stuart  Dodge,  son 
of  William  E.  Dodge  of  New  York.  The  president  lives  in  a 
fine  structure  known,  from  its  donor,  as  the  Marquand  House. 

When  we  were  there,  there  were  about  one  hundred  stu- 
dents in  the  preparatory  department,  and  sixty-five  in  the  col- 
legiate. Few  American  colleges  have  so  fine  a  system  of 
buildings,  and  none  a  more  magnificent  site.  One  was  de- 
lightfully reminded  of  home  by  the  Alcott  collection  of  two 
thousand  species  of  the  plants  of  the  Eastern  and  Northern 
States  of  America.  We  heard  Dr.  George  F.  Post,  who  has 
the  reputation  of  being  the  best  physician  in  Syria,  lecture  to 
the  medical  students  on  botany. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  calling  upon  Dr.  Van  Dyke  on  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  arrival  in  Syria.  This  distinguished 
man  went  there  originally  as  a  medical  missionary,  but  has  be- 
come famous  in  the  world  of  scholars  and  linguists  because  of 
his  translation  of  the  Bible  into  Arabic. 

Beirut  is  the  center  of  mission  work  which  extends  into  the 
regions  round  about,  and  is  superintended  efficiently. 

The  cemetery  near  the  church  contains  the  tombs  of  some 
of  the  godly  men  who  laid  the  foundations  of  this  mission. 
The  church,  an  imposing  building,  is  well  attended. 

At  the  college  we  met  the- Hon.  Edward  L.  Pierce,  of  Bos- 
ton, the  biographer  of  Charles  Sumner,  and  formerly  one  of  the 
professors  of  the  Boston  University  Law  School,  and  an  hour 
was  well  spent  at  the  hospital  witnessing  surgical  operations 
performed  by  Professor  Post,  who,  surrounded  by  students, 
relieved  the  sufferings  of  the  sick  and  maimed. 

There  are  other  Christian  missions  in  Beirut.  The  British 
Syrian  institutions  have  their  headquarters  there,  and  in  the  dis- 
trict which  they  cultivate  are  schools  containing  nearly  one  thou- 
sand pupils.  The  Roman  Catholics  have  an  orphanage  which 


496  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

will  accommodate  six  hundred,  and  sustain  day  and  boarding 
schools.  Another  is  known  as  the  Dames  de  Nazareth.  The 
German  Jesuits  sustain  places  of  instruction;  and  a  fine  orphan- 
age and  school  with  a  chapel,  in  which  French  and  German 
services  are  alternately  conducted,  exists.  A  very  interesting 
school  is  conducted  by  a  learned  Arab. 

Compared  with  the  present  prosperity  of  the  Syrian  Protes- 
tant Mission,  the  early  struggles  of  the  missionaries  to  Syria 
form  a  contrast  as  great  as  that  between  the  sufferings  of  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers  and  the  present  condition  of  New  England. 
A  magnificent  presentation  of  Western  civilization  is  made  to- 
day in  the  presence  of  the  Mohammedan  world. 

At  a  little  distance  the  heroic  aspect  of  missionary  work 
still  appears,  and  the  results  of  preaching  the  Gospel  in  the 
mountains  of  Lebanon  and  in  the  villages  of  the  plains,  as  well 
as  the  self-denial  and  isolation  necessary  to  accomplish  it,  can 
be  seen  in  less  than  two  days'  journey. 

Before  leaving  Beirut  I  visited  the  grave  of  Bishop  Kingsley 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  who  died  there,  April  6, 
1870,  when  returning  from  an  episcopal  tour  through  the 
missions  of  his  Church  in  China  and  India. 


CYPRUS  AND  NOTED  ISLANDS  OF  THE  AEGEAN  SEA.     497 


CHAPTER   LX. 
Cyprus  and  Noted  Islands  of  the  ^Egean  Sea. 

Cyprus — Lanarca — Greek  Church  of  St.  Lazarus — Rhodes — The  Colossus — 
Symi — Kos,  Birthplace  of  Apelles,  Hippocrates,  and  Simonides — The  Rock 
Island,  Patmos — Classic  Interest  of  Samos — Scio. 

AGAIN  the  time  had  come  to  trust  ourselves  to  the  capricious 
mercies  and  severities  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  bidding  the 
mainland  of  Asia  a  temporary  farewell  we  took  the  steamship 
for  the  island  of  Cyprus.  The  voyage  consumed  twelve  hours. 
Father  Stephanos,  whom  we  had  met  in  Jerusalem,  and  who 
had  acted  as  interpreter  in  our  conversation  with  the  Greek 
patriarch,  was  on  board  with  some  co-ecclesiastics,  and  we  found 
in  him  a  frankness  in  criticising  his  Church,  and  especially  its 
politico-ecclesiastical  manipulation,  which  demonstrated  that 
it  does  not  control  the  tongues  of  its  ministers.  No  doubt, 
however,  with  Greek  facility  he  could  explain  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  the  authorities  everything  he  said.  I  shall  not  make 
him  responsible  for  any  particular  statements,  not  having 
warned  him  that  he  was  being  interviewed  for  publication,  and 
being  well  aware  that  in  all  sects  many  feel  free  to  criticise,  in 
conversation  with  strangers,  points  which  they  would  defend  if 
attacked  from  without. 

We  went  on  shore  at  Lanarca,  the  capital,  and  saw  so  much 
of  it  as  was  possible  during  the  time  allowed  before  sailing. 
The  island  of  Cyprus  contains  3,723  square  miles,  and  a  pop- 
ulation of  186,000;  125,000  of  these  are  professedly  Christians, 
and  speak  the  Greek  language.  Glimpses  of  the  mountain 
ranges  which  traverse  the  island,  one  parallel  with  the  north 
and  the  other  with  the  south  coast,  could  be  seen,  and  a  few 
of  the  fever-breeding  marshes  that  have  brought  the  climate 
into  disrepute.  Bad  harbors,  frequent  droughts,  and  inef- 
ficient government,  together  with  neglect  and  want  of  drain- 
age and  cultivation,  have  kept  poor  one  of  the  most  fertile 
islands  in  the  Mediterranean.  There  is  a  marked  contrast 


498  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

between  its  population  to-day  and  that  of  ancient  times. 
Then  two  million  people  lived  and  prospered  upon  it.  Two 
sorts  of  fevers — ague  and  remittent — keep  many  of  the  inhab- 
itants sick,  unless  they  have  the  ability  and  the  means  to  move 
from  point  to  point  according  to  the  climate.  Little  remains 
of  the  old  forests,  or  of  the  cedars,  which  are  said  to  have  sur- 
passed even  those  of  Lebanon. 

Colonized  by  the  Phoenicians,  the  Syrians,  Greeks,  Egyp- 
tians, Persians,  and  Romans  successively  held  it. 

Cyprus  swords  were  so  valued  that  Alexander  the  Great 
wore  one  presented  to  him  by  a  king.  On  this  island  Solon 
spent  the  closing  years  of  his  life.  In  comparatively  modern 
times  it  was  a  place  of  importance,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
twelfth  century  was  conquered  by  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion,  who 
called  himself  King  of  Cyprus.  In  1878  it  came  under  the 
control  of  Great  Britain. 

Barnabas,  "the  son  of  consolation,"  was  a  native  of  Cyprus. 
Some  of  those  that  were  scattered  abroad  after  the  persecution 
of  Stephen  went  as  far  as  Cyprus.  When  Barnabas  and  Paul 
were  sent  forth  by  the  disciples  they  went  there.  After 
they  separated  because  of  contention  about  Mark,  Barnabas 
took  Mark  and  sailed  to  Cyprus;  and  when  Paul  sailed  from 
Patara  he  left  this  island  on  the  left  hand,  on  his  way  to  Syria. 
On  Paul's  journey  from  Caesarea  to  Jerusalem,  "one  Mnason  of 
Cyprus,  an  old  disciple,"  with  whom  they  were  to  lodge,  went 
with  them.  In  the  terrible  voyage  described  by  the  apostle 
in  Acts  xxvii,  they  "sailed  under  Cyprus,  because  the  winds 
were  contrary." 

In  the  bazaar  was  an  abundant  supply  of  all  kinds  of  oriental 
fruits  of  the  season,  handiwork  of  the  people,  and  of  every- 
thing which  such  places  usually  contain.  A  guide,  employed 
to  conduct  us  through  the  Greek  Church  of  St.  Lazarus,  pre- 
tended that  the  body  of  Lazarus  was  beneath  the  building, 
but  he  romanced  superfluously,  as  the  authorities  do  not  claim 
that.  He  solemnly  assured  us  that  the  Bible  states  that,  after 
the  resurrection  of  Lazarus,  the  Jews  drove  him  away  from 
Joppa,  but  his  boat  miraculously  drifting  to  Cyprus,  he  landed 
at  Lanarca,  and  the  Christians  made  him  bishop,  the  functions 
of  which  office  he  exercised  until  his  death. 


CYPRUS  AND  NOTED  ISLANDS  OF  THE  AEGEAN  SEA.    499 

We  saw  a  few  of  the  relics  which  make  Cyprus  interesting 
to  antiquarians,  but  many  of  the  best  are  in  New  York. 
General  Di  Cesnola,  a  native  of  Italy,  after  a  military  edu- 
cation and  service  in  the  Sardinian  army  and  the  Crimean 
War,  came  to  the  United  States,  volunteered  and  became 
Colonel  of  the  Fourth  New  York  Cavalry  and  a  naturalized 
citizen.  Afterward,  when  consul  at  Cyprus,  he  made  the 
collection  of  antiquities  which  he  sold  to  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art,  of  which  he  is  now  director.  An  attack 
upon  him,  in  art  journals  and  in  the  daily  press,  which  began 
in  1879,  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  five  distinguished 
citizens,  who  declared  the  charges  groundless;  it  was  afterward 
fought  through  the  courts,  resulting  in  a  disagreement  of  the 
jury.  The  year  after  the  attack  Columbia  College  conferred 
upon  the  General  the  degree  of  LL.D. 

The  controversy  was  so  partisan  that  no  one  could  make 
anything  of  it.  General  Di  Cesnola's  Researclies  and  Dis- 
coveries in  Cyprus  contains  more  information  than  any  other 
accessible  work  on  the  subject.  "The  beautiful  women  of 
Cyprus  "  must  have  been  indoors  on  the  occasion  of  our  visit, 
and  the  female  inhabitants  whom  we  saw  on  the  streets,  in  the 
stores,  and  in  the  markets,  foreigners. 

From  Cyprus  we  sailed  to  Rhodes,  the  usual  time  of  the 
voyage  being  thirty  hours.  We  were  a  little  longer  on  the 
way.  This  is  the  most  eastern  island  of  the  ^tgean  Sea,  a 
center  of  primitive  traditions;  it  emerged  into  history  in  the 
possession  of  all  the  elements  of  prosperity,  and  soon  became 
a  great  commercial  and  colonizing  power.  Rhodes  is  men- 
tioned in  the  history  of  every  important  war  of  ancient  times 
in  this  part  of  the  world.  Its  coasts  present  a  noble  appear- 
ance: the  island  culminates  in  a  mountain  summit  four  thou- 
sand feet  above  the  water,  and  the  gradual  ascent  of  the 
hills  produces,  from  some  points  of  view,  the  effect  of  ter- 
races. As  a  quaint  authority  says:  "All  that  remains  of  the 
Colossus  of  Rhodes,  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world, 
is  the  place  where  it  stood  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor."  It 
was  a  bronze  statue  one  hundred  and  five  feet  high,  was  twelve 
years  in  being  erected,  stood  for  only  fifty-six  years,  being 
overthrown  by  an  earthquake  B.  C.  222.  The  pieces  re- 


500 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


mained  there  eight  hundred  and  ninety-four  years.  In  672 
the  general  of  the  Caliph  Othman  IV  sold  them  to  a  Jew, 
who  carried  them  away  on  nine  hundred  camels.  Happening 
to  remember  this  passage  from  a  translation  of  Pindar: 

"  Wisdom  true  glory  can  impart 
Without  the  aid  of  magic  art  ; 
As  ancient  fame  reports  when  Jove 
And  all  the  immortal  powers  above 
Held  upon  earth  divided  sway ; 
Nor  yet  had  Rhodes  in  glittering  pride 
On  ocean's  breast  appeared  to  ride, 
But  hid  beneath  his  briny  caverns  lay," 

I  looked  with  curiosity  upon  the  natural  features  of  the  island, 
which  suggested  the  idea  of  its  originating  by  the  special 
power  of  Apollo,  and  elaborated  the  myth  of  its  being  raised 
from  beneath  the  waves. 

Later  history  connects  it  with  the  Knights  of  St.  John, 
who  dwelt  upon  it  for  above  two  hundred  years  after  their 
expulsion  from  Jerusalem,  finally  surrendering  to  Suliman  the 
Magnificent  after  a  siege  of  four  months. 

From  Rhodes  we  sailed  past  the  island  of  Symi,  often  men- 
tioned in  history.  The  people  earn  their  living  by  fishing  for 
sponge,  and  both  men  and  women  have  an  extraordinary 
reputation  as  divers  for  sponge  and  coral.  A  Greek  on  the 
ship  told  amazing  stories  of  the  length  of  time  the  women 
could  remain  under  water,  and  said  it  was  a  custom,  when  a 
disturbance  took  place  among  the  women,  to  break  it  up  by 
offering  a  reward  to  the  one  who  would  dive  the  deepest  and 
stay  under  the  longest;  at  which  tale  some  of  the  Greek  by- 
standers laughed  incredulously. 

Kos  was  the  next  island  of  importance  which  came  into 
view,  and  what  I  had  read  and  heard  of  it  made  me  regret  the 
possibility  of  landing.  I  can  imagine  no  more  stimulating 
way  of  disposing  of  three  or  four  days  than  pedestrianizing  on 
this  classic  island,  the  birthplace  of  Apelles,  the  painter, 
Hippocrates,  "  the  father  of  all  such  as  practice  physic,"  and 
Simonides,  the  Greek  poet,  who  had  claims  to  distinction  as 
a  philosopher,  as  the  first  poet  who  wrote  for  money,  and  on 
account  of  adding  four  letters  to  the  Greek  alphabet. 


CYPRUS  AND  NOTED  ISLANDS  OF  THE  AEGEAN  SEA.     501 

It  is  still  more  famous  as  being  the  only  city  in  Asia  Minor 
which  refused  to  obey  the  edict  of  Mithridates  ordering  the 
massacre  of  all  Roman  citizens.  Paul  also  mentioned  his 
coming  to  Coos.  We  were  sailing  over  the  route  which  Paul 
took,  but  in  an  opposite  direction,  he  voyaging  to  Syria. 


Isle  of  Patmos. 

Patmos  to  me  had  more  of  mystery  and  fascination  than 
all  the  small  islands  in  all  the  seas.  Nor  is  there  anything 
uttered  by  man,  within  or  without  the  Bible,  more  sublime 
than: 

"I,  John,  who  also  am  your  brother,  and  companion  in 
tribulation,  and  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ, 
was  in  the  isle  that  is  called  Patmos,  for  the  word  of  God,  and 
for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ." 

For  six  hours  we  were  within  full  sight  of  it  on  a  day  of  unsur- 
passed brightness,  and  seldom  do  travelers  in  this  region  have 
so  grand  a  view.  Many  pass  in  the  night,  and  others  at  such 
a  distance  as  to  be  unable  to  discern  the  outlines  of  this  irreg- 
ular mass  of  rock.  The  island  is  but  ten  miles  long  and  five 
20 


5°2 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


wide,  and  may  be  correctly  described  as  a  mountain  of  rock, 
two  thirds  of  which  is  under  water.  The  sea  withdrawn,  it 
would  be  one  of  the  most  striking  rock  mountains  in  the 
world.  According  to  classic  historians,  the  most  precipitous 
and  desolate  islands  were  selected  for  the  imprisonment  of 
exiles,  and  no  sooner  did  we  discern  Patmos  than  its  appropri- 
ateness for  such  a  purpose  was  apparent.  A  flat  island  is  never 
impressive.  Seeming  to  exist  by  the  mercy  of  the  sea  which 
ever  dashes  against  its  shores,  should  it  be  entirely  submerged 
it  would  not  surprise  the  observer.  But  Patmos  is  the  embodi- 
ment of  sternness  and  force ;  its  attitude  that  of  a  giant  who 
had  thrust  himself  up  out  of  the  sea,  and  stood  through  the 
ages  defying  its  power. 

The  aspect  of  the  mountain  is  similar  to  that  of  Gibraltar, 
as  it  is  divided  into  two  parts.  On  the  east  side  is  the  harbor. 
Tradition  says  St.  John  received  the  revelation  in  a  grotto 
halfway  up  the  steep  ascent,  and  with  a  glass  we  could  easily 
distinguish  the  spot.  Near  the  summit  is  the  celebrated 
Monastery  of  St.  John  the  Divine.  At  first  we  studied  it 
through  a  glass,  but  the  ship  drew  so  near  that  it  could  be 
identified  with  the  naked  eye. 

The  Greek  fathers  who  were  on  board  looked  upon  this 
island  with  an  interest  not  less  than  our  own,  and  one,  who 
had  made  seven  voyages  through  these  waters,  said  it  was  the 
first  opportunity  he  had  had  of  seeing  it.  The  monks  claim 
to  point  out  the  very  spot  where  the  revelation  was  delivered, 
even  to  identifying  the  fissures  in  the  roof  of  the  grotto 
through  which  the  apostle  heard  the  voice  from  heaven  like 
the  sound  of  a  trumpet.  That  is  bringing  the  matter  to  a  fine 
point,  especially  as  there  is  not  the  slightest  reason  to  suppose 
from  the  book  itself  that  any  sounds  were  heard  by  his 
material  ear.  Whoever  will  carefully  read  the  first  chapter 
will  not  be  left  in  doubt  upon  this  point.  All  these  wonders 
were  seen  by  John  in  vision,  and  are  types  of  spiritual  truths. 
The  island  has  a  population  of  four  thousand,  a  starving, 
poverty-stricken  class,  who  live  by  working  on  other  islands 
as  farmers  and  by  boating. 

Samos  is  larger  than  Patmos,  being  thirty  miles  long  and 
eight  wide.  A  splendid  picture  was  presented  of  the  range  of 


CYPRUS  AND  NOTED  ISLANDS  OF  THE  AEGEAN  SEA.     503 

mountains,  extending  from  east  to  west,  whence  it  derives  its 
name.  Patmos  has  no  classic  value.  Samos  was  once  the 
center  of  Ionian  manners  and  learning,  and  has  no  Christian 
interest.  All  that  we  had  known,  read,  or  heard  of  ancient 
Greece  came  trooping  up,  and  as  we  read  an  epitome  of  the 
statements  of  Thucydides  recalling  the  fact  that  the  Samians 
were  the  first  of  the  Greeks,  after  the  Corinthians,  who  paid  at- 
tention to  naval  affairs,  and  remembered  that  they  founded 
colonies  in  Thrace,  Cicilia,  Crete,  Italy,  and  Sicily,  and  as  we 
contemplated  the  island,  now  in  possession  of  Athens,  then  of 
Sparta,  then  of  Rome,  tracing  it  down  from  the  time  that  An- 
tony and  Cleopatra  made  it  a  place  of  residence,  until  it  sank 
into  its  modern  insignificance,  we  felt,  as  often  before,  that  not 
the  size  of  the  territory,  but  the  character  of  the  people,  makes 
its  history  important. 

At  Scio,  or  Chios,  we  made  a  landing.  Its  modern  is  al- 
most as  interesting  as  its  ancient  history.  It  claims  to  be  the 
birthplace  of  Homer,  "the  blind  old  man  of  Scio's  rocky  isle," 
and  that  Ion,  the  tragic  poet,  and  Theopompus,  the  historian, 
were  born  there  is  not  disputed.  In  the  time  of  Herodotus  it 
was  a  member  of  the  Ionian  Confederation.  Important  as  its 
history  has  been,  the  island  is  only  thirty-two  miles  long  and 
eighteen  wide.  As  we  sailed  along  the  mainland  and  among 
the  islands,  our  minds  were  filled  with  Bible  names,  such  as 
Caria,  Miletus,  Trogyllium,  Samos,  Patmos,  Coos,  Chios, 
Mitylene,  Ephesus,  Cnidus,  with  classical  Halicarnassus  and 
the  Meander.  The  tints  of  sea,  sky,  and  landscape,  the  con- 
stantly changing  outline  of  the  mountains,  caused  the  scenic 
interest  to  leave  in  the  mind  a  suffused  haze  of  delight.  The 
historic,  the  literary,  and  the  artistic  formed  a  shifting  pan- 
orama of  things  new  and  old.  We  were  among  places  and 
scenes  of  which  we  had  heard  and  read  all  our  lives,  and  mem- 
ory fulfilled  the  tribute  paid  her  by  Samuel  Rogers  : 

"  And  hence  the  charm  historic  scenes  impart ; 
Hence  Tiber  awes,  and  Avon  melts  the  heart  ; 
Aerial  forms  in  Tempe's  classic  vale 
Glance  through  the  gloom  and  whisper  in  the  gale,"  etc. 

As  we  recalled  Paul's  missionary  tours  and  John's  sufferings 
and  revelations,  religion  threw  its  charm  over  every  object. 


504  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER   LXI. 
Smyrna  and  Ephesus. 

Beauty  of  Smyrna — Figs,  Drugs,  and  Rugs — Cosmopolitan  Population — Lan- 
guages— Wandering  Tribes — Religions — Tomb  of  Polycarp — Importance  of 
Ephesus — Ruins  of  the  Stadium,  Odeon,  and  Great  Theater — Temple  of 
Diana — Incidents  in  Paul's  Life  Connected  with  Ephesus — Legend  of  the 
Seven  Sleepers. 

IT  was  with  satisfaction  that  we  disembarked  at  Smyrna. 
An  old  acquaintance  and  fellow-traveler,  the  late  A.  A.  Van- 
tine,  founder  of  the  famous  carpet,  rug,  and  oriental  merchan- 
dise establishment  on  Broadway,  New  York,  had  said  to  me: 
"Visit  Smyrna,  and  keep  your  eyes  and  ears  open,  for  you 
will  see  strange  peoples,  and  the  sounds  of  more  than  fifty 
languages  and  dialects  will  bombard  your  ears."  After  list- 
ening by  the  hour  on  shipboard  to  his  interesting  reminis- 
cences of  twenty-six  visits  to  Smyrna,  Constantinople,  Japan, 
and  other  countries  of  the  East,  I  told  him  that  when  in 
Smyrna  I  should  remember  him,  and  on  returning  would  report 
whether  I  found  the  city  as  he  had  portrayed  it. 

The  conversation  occurred  but  six  years  ago,  yet,  before  the 
opportunity  of  making  the  report  came,  the  hero  of  so  many 
journeys  had  been  summoned  to  that  bourn  whence  no  trav- 
eler returns,  although  his  name  upon  the  house  still  attracts 
attention. 

He  who  goes  to  Smyrna  for  good  hotels  will  be  disappointed; 
but  they  are  endurable.  The  hours  of  meals  are  primitive, 
dinner  being  served  in  the  middle  of  the  day. 

I  had  not  been  in  my  room  ten  minutes  before  being  forcibly 
reminded  of  my  native  land  by  the  cheerful  song  of  the  mos- 
quito. Smyrna  is  as  famous  for  mosquitoes  as  New  Jersey, 
and  the  winter  is  not  cold  enough  to  kill  them. 

We  were  filled  with  admiration  of  the  beauty  of  the  city  as 
we  entered  a  gulf  which  extends  far  inland,  and  the  city  lies 


SMYRNA  AND  EPHESUS.  505 

partly  on  the  slopes  of  Mount  Pagus,  near  the  southeast  of  the 
gulf,  and  partly  between  that  hill  and  the  sea.  Opposite  to 
Pagus  is  a  steep  peak  nearly  one  thousand  three  hundred 
feet  high;  and  in  the  most  ancient  period  of  the  city's  his- 
tory the  Acropolis  was  upon  this  point.  On  the  west  side  is 
another  hill  surmounted  with  the  ruins  of  temples. 

The  sea  in  front  and  mountains  as  a  background  will  give 
any  city  an  imposing  appearance,  and  its  beauty  is  increased 
when  arms  of  the  sea  reach  inland.  In  ancient  times,  "  when 
magnificent  buildings  and  imposing  Acropolis  and  the  wide 
circle  of  massive  walls  combined  with  the  natural  scenery  in 
one  splendid  picture,"  the  effect  must  have  been  even  more 
striking.  I  enjoyed  several  walks  along  the  sea,  constantly 
rejoicing  in  glimpses  of  Mount  Pagus,  and  made  a  short  trip 
up  the  mountain's  side.  Frank  Street,  containing  the  English 
consulate  and  chapel,  the  European  casino,  English  book- 
sellers, and  the  English  pharmacy,  is  interesting  to  Europeans. 
Donkeys  are  as  frequently  used  for  riding  in  Smyrna  as  in 
Cairo. 

Smyrna  has  a  wide  reputation  for  its  traffic  in  drugs  ;  in 
fact,  it  has  monopolized  this  business  in  the  East,  and  while 
prescriptions  were  being  put  up  for  me  by  one  clerk  I  chatted 
with  another,  who  seemed  to  be  a  polyglot,  as  he  could 
turn  like  a  courier  from  one  language  to  another,  but,  unlike 
the  courier,  could  converse  intelligently  and  correctly  upon 
any  subject.  Olive  oil  and  attar  of  roses,  scammony,  galls, 
licorice  paste,  opium,  madder,  all  sorts  of  drugs,  dyes,  and 
perfumes  are  wholesaled  and  retailed.  The  large  tanks  em- 
ployed in  the  leech  business  are  very  curious.  Before  bleed- 
ing became  unfashionable  in  medical  practice  an  immense 
business  was  done  in  leeches. 

Everyone  has  heard  of  Smyrna  figs.  Had  it  been  in  the 
season  I  should  have  gone  to  see  them  cured,  though  some 
say  that  the  women  who  prepare  them  are  among  the  dirtiest 
creatures  to  be  found  in  the  Levant.  It  is  claimed  there  is  a 
mystery  in  the  method  used  which  gives  the  figs  their  reputa- 
tion. 

Of  the  rugs  and  carpets  I  need  say  nothing,  for  the  finest  can 
be  seen  in  New  York.  They  are  manufactured  in  towns  in  the 


506  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

interior  and  brought  to  Smyrna.  In  the  windows  of  the  stores 
were  curious  handkerchiefs,  and  while  passing  through  the 
Persian  khan  we  saw  rarely  beautiful  designs  in  carpets.  Later 
in  the  season  small  dealers  come  in  and  peddle  rugs  and  car- 
pets about  the  city;  sponges  from  the  islands  which  we  had 
passed  are  sold  here. 

In  looking  for  Mr.  Vantine's  cosmopolitan  population,  I 
was  not  disappointed;  for  all  kinds  of  dialects  saluted  my  ears, 
and  every  variety  of  costume  greeted  my  eyes.  On  the  out- 
skirts of  the  city  there  is  a  huge  encampment  of  gypsies  speak- 
ing their  own  language,  and  we  observed  some  of  them  stand- 
ing about  the  station. 

The  authorities  divide  the  nations  and  languages  into  many 
groups:  English  and  American;  High  Dutch,  an  old  colony 
of  Hollanders;  French;  Italians;  Albanians;  Slavonians,  speak- 
ing Servian;  Hellenic  Greeks,  speaking  Romaic;  Armenians, 
Persians,  and  Gypsies  ;  Jews,  whose  language  is  mongrel 
Spanish  and  Italian;  and  varieties  of  Turanians,  including 
Turks,  Kizzilbashes,  and  Rayah  Greeks  speaking  Turkish 
and  Greek,  descendants  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Asia 
Minor. 

It  was  represented  to  us  that  not  one  language  is  spoken 
in  purity;  that  most  of  the  Mussulmans  and  Christians  speak 
several  languages,  and  that,  under  the  influence  of  the  modern 
Greek  or  Romaic  pronunciation,  and  from  their  being  a  non- 
reading  people,  the  Christians  create  dialects.  Our  old  guide, 
Moses,  in  Palestine,  illustrated  this  tendency  by  his  fluency  in 
languages  and  dialects.  He  could  speak  many  languages,  but 
none  correctly. 

In  Smyrna  there  are  many  Negroes  from  Eastern  and  Cen- 
tral Africa.  Among  the  most  peculiar  of  mankind  are  the 
nomads,  encamped  within  a  few  miles  of  the  city;  for  this  is 
the  frontier  of  the  wandering  tribes  who  are  scattered  over 
the  vast  territory  between  Smyrna  and  China.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  there  are  twice  as  many  Greeks  in  Smyrna  as  in 
Athens. 

I  dare  not  enter  into  the  history  of  the  city,  as  even  an  in- 
telligent condensation  would  demand  several  chapters.  Its 
myths  begin  to  dissipate  about  seven  hundred  years  before 


SMYRNA  AND  EPHESUS.  507 

Christ.  It  lay  desolate  four  hundred  years,  but  Alexander  the 
Great  is  said  to  have  had  a  warning  in  a  vision  from  Diana  to 
restore  it.  It  became  famous  for  philosophy  and  rhetoric, 
being  named  the  "  Forest  of  Philosophers,"  the  "Museum  of 
Ionia,"  "the  Asylum  of  the  Muses  and  Graces."  Formerly 
insalubrious,  the  nucleus  and  generating  center  of  plagues 
through  all  the  centuries,  for  about  sixty  years  it  has  been 
comparatively  healthful.  Miasmatic  valleys  surround  it,  and 
would  render  it  uninhabitable  were  it  not  for  a  certain  wind 
which  they  designate  the  Imbat. 

The  Turks  allow  religious  freedom,  and  Greeks,  Armenians, 
and  Roman  Catholics  are  undisturbed  in  their  worship.  A 
singular  concession  to  Greek  and  Armenian  prejudice  appears 
in  the  fact  that  the  Roman  Catholic  cathedral  contains  hardly 
an  image.  Many  schools  and  missions  exist,  and  the  different 
religious  creeds  are  divided  into  antagonistic  sects.  Among 
the  Mohammedans  there  are  several  that  are  not  allowed  to 
practice  their  peculiar  rites  in  this  orthodox  Mohammedan 
city. 

Protestant  missions  have  existed  in  Smyrna  for  years,  and 
diverse  statements  are  made  concerning  their  success. 

To  Christians  the  preeminent  interest  of  Smyrna  lies  in 
these  words: 

"And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  write;  These 
things  saith  the  first  and  the  last,  which  was  dead,  and  is 
alive;  I  know  thy  works,  and  tribulation,  and  poverty,  (but 
thou  art  rich)  and  I  know  the  blasphemy  of  them  which  say 
they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan. 
Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer:  behold,  the 
devil  shall  cast  some  of  you  into  prison,  that  ye  may  be  tried; 
and  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days;  be  thou  faithful  unto 
death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life.  He  that  hath  an 
ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches;  He 
that  overcometh  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death." 

"This  once  only  her  record  flashes  into  unique  and  sudden 
brightness  illumined  by  the  praise  of  Christ  himself,  praise  un- 
alloyed by  a  single  word  of  censure. " 

From  the  beginning  Smyrna  suffered  tribulation  for  Christ 
from  heathen  and  Jews;  though  Smyrna  was  rich,  the  Christians 


508  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

were  poor,  but  they  were  rich  in  faith.  It  was  here  that  Poly- 
carp  was  martyred,  and  he  was  bishop  at  the  time  that  Igna- 
tius passed  through  on  his  way  to  die  for  Christ  in  the 
amphitheater  of  Rome.  Polycarp  was  a  disciple  of  St.  John, 
and  from  these  circumstances  it  is  the  opinion  of  many,  and 
is  set  forth  in  a  work  on  the  Seven  Churches  of  Asia,  edited  by 
Professor  Salmond,  of  the  University  of  Aberdeen,  that  he  was 
the  "angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna"  to  whom  the  above 
words  were  written.  Of  him  Irenaeus  writes  his  reminiscences 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  second  century,  saying:  "I  can  tell 
the  very  place  where  the  blessed  Polycarp  used  to  sit  and  dis- 
course; his  entrances,  his  walks,  the  complexion  of  his  life,  the 
form  of  his  body,  his  conversations  with  the  people,  and  his 
familiar  intercourse  with  St.  John,  as  also  his  familiarity  with 
those  who  had  seen  the  Lord." 

The  ruins  of  the  amphitheater  in  which  Polycarp  was  sacri- 
ficed for  Christ  are  still  there;  his  words  just  before  he  was 
burnt  will  never  die.  The  proconsul  who  wished  to  set  him 
free,  as  Pilate  wished  to  deliver  Christ,  said:  "Blaspheme 
Christ,  and  1  will  release  thee;  "  Polycarp  answered:  "  Eighty 
and  six  years  I  have  served  him,  and  he  hath  never  wronged 
me;  how  then  can  I  blaspheme  my  King,  who  hath  saved 
me?  "  This  sealed  his  doom. 

The  "candlestick"  of  Smyrna  has  never  been  removed. 
From  that  time  to  this  it  has  been  a  Christian  city,  presenting 
the  Gospel  in  a  poor,  mutilated  form,  but  no  doubt  containing 
at  all  times  a  number  of  such  as  should  be  saved,  and  who 
through  all  the  superstitions  and  ceremonies  of  paganized 
Christianity  have  adhered  to  the  Head.  It  has  always  been 
spoken  of  as  Christian,  "the  Moslems  in  scorn  terming  it  the 
infidel  Smyrna." 

Some  of  our  party  went  to  see  the  tomb  of  Polycarp,  the 
identity  of  which  has  been  maintained.  It  stands  on  the  side 
of  Mount  Pagus,  below  the  Acropolis,  near  the  ruins  of  an  im- 
mense theater  which  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  and 
over  it  grows  an  ancient  cypress  tree.  Above,  within  the 
Acropolis,  is  a  mosque  which  is  known  to  have  been  the  church 
in  which  he  preached. 

Smyrna  is  worthy  a  visit  from  every  traveler,  whatever  his 


SMYRNA  AND  EPHESUS.  509 

favorite  line  of  study  and  observation.  Yet  many,  generally 
well  informed,  are  so  ignorant  of  it  that  the  remark  is  not  in- 
frequent: "  What  is  the  use  of  going  to  Smyrna?  "  They  do 
not  appear  to  know  that  it  is  to-day,  and  for  ages  has  been, 
the  most  important  city  in  Asia  Minor,  having  its  hand  on 
Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  and  abounding  in  antiquities,  pre- 
Christian  and  Christian,  and  containing  a  unique  conglomera- 
tion of  more  than  two  hundred  thousand  living  human  beings. 

Ephesus  is  a  cradle  of  mythology,  the  metropolis  of  the  Ionian 
Confederacy,  "  next  to  Athens  remarkable  for  being  the  scene 
of  memorable  events,  for  having  the  great  School  of  Art,  and 
as  being,  next  to  Jerusalem,  the  holiest  of  Christian  cities, 
and  the  most  noted  in  apostolic  labors."  Ephesus  is  the 
legendary  native  place  of  Apollo  and  Diana;  one  of  the  chief 
claimants  for  the  birthplace  of  Homer  ;  an  alleged  birth- 
place of  Apelles; — Ephesus  is  necessary  to  the  history  of 
Croesus,  Artemisia,  Xerxes,  Cimon  the  Athenian,  Alcibiades,  Ly- 
sander  the  Spartan,  Agesilaus,  King  of  Sparta,  and  Xenophon; 
of  Alexander  the  Great;  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus;  of  Hannibal; 
of  Mithridates,  Manlius,  Scipio,  Sylla;  of  Cicero,  Pompey,  and 
Augustus.  Ephesus,  renowned  for  architecture,  sculpture, 
painting,  philosophy;  equally  important  in  the  Asiatic,  Grecian, 
Roman,  Byzantine,  and  Mohammedan  periods,  under  pagan- 
ism, Christianity,  and  Mohammedanism,  can  be  visited  in  one 
day's  excursion  from  Smyrna,  the  distance  being  forty-eight 
miles. 

The  morning  appointed  for  the  journey  found  me  ill,  but 
the  thought  of  missing  Ephesus  was  not  to  be  endured,  and 
a  counter  irritant  might  ward  off  a  worse  thing;  so,  whip- 
ping up  the  latent  powers,  I  rose,  and  once  in  the  train  had 
nothing  to  do  but  exist  and  enjoy  the  attractive  scenery, 
until  the  village  of  Ayasoolook  was  reached.  It  is  at  the  en- 
trance to  a  large  fig  district,  the  vineyards  being  on  the 
adjacent  mountains.  Murray  says  that  this  "is  a  feverish 
place,  with  few  permanent  inhabitants,"  and  that  "  visitors 
who  stay  over  night  should  sleep  in  an  upper  story."  For  that 
reason  only  explorers  remain  long,  and  even  they  are  recom- 
mended to  stay  at  another  village  an  hour's  ride  away,  seven 
hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain,  and  healthful. 


510  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Horses  were  obtained,  but  were  so  poor  that  though  each  man 
tried  to  get  the  best  he  subsequently  maintained  that  he  had 
the  worst. 

My  beast  had  the  most  expressive  countenance  I  have  ever 
seen  upon  horse  or  ass,  and  a  way  of  looking  at  other  horses 
and  their  riders  which  resembled  a  satirical  leer.  I  concluded 
that  he  would  try  to  throw  me;  but  physiognomy  is  as  uncer- 
tain an  index  of  character  in  horses  as  in  men.  He  was  peace- 
ful, gentle,  and  had  but  one  trick,  that  of  occasionally  pausing, 
generally  in  front  of  a  ruin,  and  looking  around  as  if  to  say, 
"  Why  do  you  bring  me  here  ? " 

Nests  of  storks  attracted  our  attention  as  we  rode.  These 
birds  are  revered  by  the  inhabitants,  and  sail  through  the  air 
or  stand  with  equal  majesty  upon  their  high  nests. 

The  finest  account  of  Ephesus  as  it  was  may  be  found  in  the 
Book  of  Acts.  In  exploring  the  ruins  we  rode  several  miles 
on  the  sides  of  mountains  and  hills,  and  rambled  over  adjacent 
valleys.  But  fragments  of  monuments  remain,  from  the  Cyclo- 
pean walls  down  to  the  time  of  the  Mussulman.  The  theory 
is  that  the  country  was  originally  settled,  and  that  two  or  three 
smaller  cities  were  built  on  Mount  Prion,  Mount  Coressus,  and 
on  the  hill  near  the  present  railway  station;  that  these  flour- 
ished, gradually  approached  each  other,  and  finally  united  and 
formed  Ephesus. 

Only  fragments  remain  of  the  magnificence  of  Ephesus,  but 
much  more  than  I  expected,  both  of  substructures  and  super- 
structures. The  subterranean  vaults  are  vast,  the  foundations 
easily  traced,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  sites  of 
almost  all  the  famous  buildings  are  identified.  The  Gymna- 
sium, the  Great  Agora,  and  the  two  smaller  markets,  close  to 
the  base  of  Mount  Coressus,  are  plainly  marked.  Ephesus 
was  famous  for  its  gymnasiums;  one  was  nine  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  by  six  hundred  and  eighty  feet;  but  another, 
where  Agesilaus  exercised  the  Spartans,  was  more  celebrated. 
We  stood  in  the  theater,  which  would  seat  sixty  thousand.  It 
is  a  pile  of  ruins,  but  its  walls  in  part  still  stand.  The  climate 
admitted  of  perfect  ventilation,  little  use  was  made  of  windows, 
and  immensity  and  simplicity  were  the  elements  of  its  grandeur. 
The  Stadium  and  the  Odeon  and  fragments  of  temples  still 


SMYRNA  AND  EPHESUS.  511 

remain;  the  two  former  are  positively  identified,  several  of 
the  temples  hypothetically.  Coins  are  extant  upon  which  are 
inscribed  the  names  of  the  temples  of  Ephesus.  For  centuries 
the  Temple  of  Diana  was  buried  beneath  the  accumulating 
debris  and  the  soil  of  the  plain,  and  the  knowledge  of  its  site 
was  lost;  but  about  thirty-five  years  ago  Mr.  Wood  found  in- 
scriptions in  the  great  theater,  one  of  which  gave  the  clew  to 
the  location  of  the  temple. 

Though  a  wanderer  in  many  countries,  and  in  the  habit  of 
reading  accounts  of  ruined  cities,  not  till  I  reached  Ephesus 
did  the  full  glory  and  value  of  the  services  of  archaeologists 
and  antiquarians  burst  upon  my  mind.  With  the  scene  in  full 
view,  I  read  of  the  discovery  of  the  Magnesian  Gate;  from 
which,  according  to  Philostratus,  a  covered  way  led  to  the 
Temple  of  Diana.  Mr.  Wood  dug  for  it,  and  eleven  feet 
underground  found  the  road  with  tombs  on  each  side.  For 
three  years  he  explored  this  road.  Finding  an  inscription 
elsewhere  stating  that  the  procession  from  the  Temple  of 
Diana  entered  the  city  by  the  Magnesian  Gate  and  returned 
through  the  Coressian  Gate,  he  drew  the  conclusion  that  the 
temple  stood  at  the  junction.  After  finding  the  Magnesian, 
he  discovered  the  Coressian  Gate,  and  in  April,  1869,  "he 
struck  upon  the  angle  of  the  peribolos  just  where  it  might 
have  been  expected  to  be."  Then  he  discovered  in  that  wall 
an  inscription  stating  that  the  Emperor  Augustus  had  rebuilt 
the  peribolos  wall  around  the  Temple  of  the  Goddess  Diana, 
B.  C.  6.  His  later  discoveries  were  remarkable,  including  a 
pavement  of  square  blocks  of  fine  white  marble,  nine  inches 
thick,  on  a  level  bed  of  black  marble.  These  were  eighteen  feet 
below  the  soil,  and  on  further  examination  he  discovered  that 
the  lowest  stratum  of  soil  was  composed  of  splinters  of  fine 
white  marble  calcined  by  fire.  He  came  upon  drums  of  marble 
columns  six  feet  in  diameter;  then  the  south  walls,  and  frag- 
ments of  one  hundred  columns  sixty  feet  high.  By  compari- 
son he  ascertained  the  dimensions  of  the  temple  to  have  been 
one  hundred  and  sixty-four  feet  by  three  hundred  and  forty- 
three.  One  of  my  authorities  compares  this  temple  with  the 
Parthenon,  which  is  only  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet 
long  by  one  hundred  and  one  broad.  The  ruins  found  are 


512 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


of  the  eighth  successive  temple,  the  preceding  seven  having 
been  burnt.  The  sixth  is  supposed  to  have  been  begun  six 
hundred  years  before  Christ,  and  was  built  in  a  marsh  to 
guard  against  earthquake.  It  is  claimed  that  this  temple  was 
destroyed  the  same  day  Socrates  drank  poison,  B.  C.  400. 
The  seventh  was  the  one  that  Herostratus  burned  in  order  to 
perpetuate  his  name,  giving  rise  to  the  lines  which  John 
Wilkes  Booth  used  to  repeat  to  his  friends  when  he  was  con- 
templating the  plan  that  ended  in  the  assassination  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln: 

"  The  aspiring  youth  that  fired  the  Ephesian  dome 
Outlives  in  fame  the  pious  fool  that  raised  it." 

Amid  these  ruins  I  lifted  up  my  voice  and  shouted,  "Great  is 
Diana  of  the  Ephesians!"  but  none  are  left  upon  the  earth 
to  do  her  reverence.  The  temple  is  supposed  to  have  been 
burned  the  year  A.  D.  260,  but  its  final  destruction  is  believed 
to  have  occurred  under  the  decree  of  Constantine,  A.  D.  342. 
The  demonstration  of  these  facts  on  broad,  general  lines  is 
absolute. 

Guided  by  the  Book  of  Acts  we  could  easily  follow  St.  Paul. 
He  comes  to  Ephesus,  accompanied  by  Priscilla  and  Aquila, 
and,  after  reasoning  awhile  with  the  Jews  in  the  synagogue, 
departs  for  Jerusalem,  leaving  Apollos  of  Alexandria  to 
preach.  Aquila  and  Priscilla  meet  him,  and  from  them  he 
learns  more  of  Christianity.  Again  Paul  comes  to  Ephesus, 
and  finds  the  disciples  who  had  received  only  John's  baptism. 
From  the  reference  to  this  fact  arose  the  notion  that  John  the 
Baptist  had  been  there,  and  they  pretend  to  show  the  font  in 
which  he  baptized.  Paul  now  remained  two  years  "disputing 
daily  in  the  school  of  one  Tyrannus. "  As  Ephesus  was  at  that 
time  given  up  to  magic,  Paul  here  wrought  special  miracles, 
and  here  the  sons  of  Sceva  tried  to  cast  out  the  evil  spirit  and 
were  confounded,  so  that  "those  who  used  curious  arts  .  .  . 
and  books  .  .  .  burned  them,  and  mightily  grew  the  word  of 
God  and  prevailed. " 

Then  arose  the  excitement.  Demetrius  and  his  fellow-crafts- 
men impeached  Paul,  and  said  that  the  Temple  of  the  God- 
dess Diana  would  be  thrown  down.  The  people  rushed  with 
one  accord  into  the  theater  and  cried  for  the  space  of  about 


SMYRNA  AND  EPHESUS.  513 

two  hours:  "Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians."  We  stood 
that  day  before  the  walls  which  had  resounded  to  the  uproar. 

The  words  of  the  town  clerk  show  that  there  must  have 
been  an  image  supposed  to  have  fallen  from  Jupiter:  "Ye 
men  4  of  Ephesus,  what  man  is  there  that  knoweth  not  how 
that  the  city  of  the  Ephesians  is  a  worshiper  of  the  great  god- 
dess Diana,  and  of  the  image  which  fell  down  from  Jupiter?" 
Timothy  was  at  Ephesus  with  St.  Paul,  who  sent  him,  to- 
gether with  Erastus,  into  Macedonia.  The  twentieth  chapter 
of  Acts  states  that  while  there  St.  Paul  supported  himself  by 
tentmaking,  a  handicraft  for  which  Ephesus  was  famous. 
A  belief  existed  anciently  that  Paul  was  part  of  the  time  in 
prison  here,  which  is  quite  probable,  though  the  supposed  St. 
Paul's  prison  is  mythical.  The  Epistles  to  Timothy  inform  us 
that  he  was  the  first  Bishop  of  Ephesus.  It  is  also  generally 
believed  that  after  St.  John  was  released  from  banishment 
on  Patmos,  he  resided  in  Ephesus  and  the  Virgin  Mary  dwelt 
with  him  there,  and  was  buried  there.  For  two  centuries  this 
was  hardly  doubted,  but  Jerusalem  now  claims  his  tomb.  The 
Greeks  allege  that  St.  John  is  buried  there  under  the  ruins 
of  a  church. 

Far  up  the  side  of  Mount  Prion  is  the  Grotto  of  the  Seven 
Sleepers.  Eastern  Christians  believe  that  at  the  time  of 
Diocletian  seven  young  men  with  a  dog  went  into  this  grotto 
to  escape  from  their  enemies,  fell  asleep,  and  did  not  wake  for 
two  hundred  years,  but  woke  with  the  impression  they  had 
slept  only  during  the  night.  Going  into  the  city  they  found 
everything  changed;  they  could  recognize  neither  the  people, 
the  money,  nor  the  language.  The  Mohammedan  believes  this, 
and  there  is  a  whole  chapter  on  the  subject  in  the  Koran: 
"  The  Chapter  of  the  Cave."  In  Smyrna  they  sell  rings  with 
the  names  of  the  Seven  Sleepers  engraved  upon  them,  which 
are  used  as  talismans. 

From  Miletus  Paul  sent  to  Ephesus  for  the  elders  of  the 
church,  and  delivered  a  wonderful  address.  But  his  predic- 
tion has  been  fulfilled;  grievous  wolves  have  entered  in,  not 
sparing  the  flock.  In  the  message  to  the  church  at  Ephesus 
the  church  is  in  general  commended,  but  its  members  had 
to  their  credit  a  record  of  works,  labor,  patience,  and  abhor- 


5 14  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

rence.  of  evil ;  had  tried  those  who  said  they  were  apostles  and 
were  not,  and  had  found  them  liars,  and  had  "labored  and  not 
fainted,"  and  hated  the  deeds  of  the  Nicolaitans.  The  only 
criticism  is:  "Nevertheless  I  have  somewhat  against  thee, 
because  thou  hast  left  thy  first  love." 

The  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  contrary  to  the  inscrip- 
tion which  follows  it  in  the  New  Testament,  is  believed  to 
have  been  written  by  Paul  when  at  Ephesus.  The  Epistle  of 
Paul  to  the  Ephesians  is  the  most  sublime  of  his  writings,  and 
justly  characterized  as  majestic.  Those  who  will  read  it  in 
the  light  of  the  character  of  the  city  and  its  buildings  will  ob- 
serve what  an  influence  his  residence  there  must  have  exerted 
upon  Paul's  mind. 


ATHENS.  515 


CHAPTER   LXII. 

Athens. 

The  Piraeus — Tomb  of  Themistocles — Modern  History — The  Olympieum 
and  Stadium — Theater  of  Dionysus — Odeum — Propylaea — Parthenon— View 
from  the  Acropolis — Mars'  Hill — Hill  of  the  Pnyx — Institutions  of  Athens 
— Mount  Lykabettos. 

FROM  Ephesus  we  returned  to  Smyrna,  whence  we  sailed  for 
Athens,  a  short  voyage,  but  memorable  from  the  fact  that  we 
gazed  for  hours  upon  the  receding  shores  of  the  continent  of 
Asia,  sailed  among  celebrated  islands,  and  scanned  the  motley 
crowds  gathered  at  the  ports.  As  the  coast  of  Salamis,  with 
its  various  bays,  and  the  mountains  and  islands  which  bound 
the  horizon  appeared,  all  trace  of  fatigue  and  seasickness  dis- 
appeared. Greece,  historically  the  most  absorbing  to  the 
mind  of  all  the  countries  of  Europe,  and  Athens,  its  crown 
and  glory,  were  just  before  us. 

The  Piraeus  is  a  low,  long  hill  forming  an  excellent  harbor, 
and  having  at  its  base  a  flourishing  seaport  with  a  population 
of  thirty  or  forty  thousand,  an  entirely  modern  city;  and  when 
we  were  there  many  ships  were  at  the  piers.  Some  of  the 
ruins  are  not  unworthy  of  comparison  with  any  in  Greece. 
The  tomb  of  Themistocles  is  here,  and  the  view  from  the 
Acropolis,  easily  reached  (the  hill  being  less  than  three  hun- 
dred feet  in  height),  includes  important  parts  of  the  city  of 
Athens,  the  Attic  Plain,  the  bays,  the  far-famed  islands  of 
^Egina  and  Salamis,  and  is  indeed  grand. 

The  crowd  at  the  landing  was  as  numerous  and  noisy  as  any 
that  we  had  met.  There  is  a  railway  to  Athens,  but  we  pre- 
ferred to  ride  more  slowly  and  become  familiar  with  a  land- 
scape every  foot  of  which  is  associated  with  Grecian  history. 
For  a  while  the  road  runs  along  one  of  the  two  walls  which 
formerly  connected  Athens  with  its  harbor.  One  advantage 
which  the  carriage  road  has  over  the  railroad  is  that  it  com- 
mands more  views,  the  latter  in  many  places  passing  through 
cuttings. 


516  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

From  the  ship  we  saw  the  Acropolis  of  Athens,  and  I  have 
never  seen  another  place  which  for  the  first  time  on  a  distant 
view  seemed  so  familiar — so  true  to  nature  are  the  paintings 
and  engravings  of  the  Acropolis.  The  road  was  exceedingly 
dusty,  and  would  have  been  very  hot  if  not  shaded  by  trees, 
and  had  not  the  vineyards  and  olive  plantations  given  the 
country  a  refreshing  appearance. 

As  late  as  1834  Athens  was  a  miserable  little  village  of  about 
three  hundred  houses.  That  was  the  year  of  the  transfer  of 
the  seat  of  government;  though  the  standard  of  the  war  of  in- 
dependence was  raised  in  the  Peloponnesus  in  the  year  1821, 
it  was  not  till  1833  that  the  Turkish  troops  evacuated.  The 
actual  business  of  the  government  began  here  in  1835.  Since 
that  event  the  present  beautiful  city  has  been  reared. 

The  important  thoroughfares  resemble  those  of  the  best 
cities  of  Europe,  for  Athens  has  the  advantage  of  having  been 
planned  by  a  scientific  architect.  Its  streets  are  regular, 
houses  well  built,  boulevards  wide,  and  squares  spacious.  The 
population  is  nearly  a  hundred  thousand,  though  the  city  is  of 
little  importance  in  a  commercial  point  of  view,  and  derives 
what  prosperity  it  has  frSm  being  the  capital,  the  abode  of  the 
king,  and  the  only  place  in  all  Greece  where  polite  and  refined 
society  can  be  found;  and  from  being  the  resort  of  students 
and  travelers,  and  the  residence  of  many  distinguished  men 
who  value  and  furnish  the  means  of  culture. 

Athens  has  fine  hotels.  Ours  was  the  Hotel  D'Etrangers, 
which  we  found  satisfactory.  There  we  met  ex-President 
White,  of  Cornell  University,  who  had  stayed  at  the  same 
hotel  twenty  years  before. 

The  newspapers  are  printed  in  Greek,  and  it  is  an  interest- 
ing fact  that  they  can  be  read  easily  by  college  students  who 
remember  their  Greek!  Without  serious  difficulty  I  could 
follow  the  accounts  of  ordinary  news  and  educational  and 
religious  discussions — especially  when  near  Principal  Bancroft. 
The  city  has  street  cars,  aqueducts,  spring  water,  and  rivals 
Egypt  in  the  manufacture  of  spurious  antiquities.  A  regular 
business  is  done  in  fraudulent  coins  and  gems  brought 
from  France.  A  gentleman  gave  me  an  account  of  an 
American  merchant  who  had  purchased  several  hundred  dol- 


ATHENS.  2 19 

lars'  worth  of  fraudulent  antiquities,  and  was  so  disgusted 
when  an  expert  informed  him  that  the  entire  collection  was 
not  worth  more  than  five  dollars  that,  though  he  had  in- 
tended to  remain  some  weeks  in  Greece,  he  took  the  next 
steamer  for  Marseilles. 

The  king's  palace,  built  of  marble  and  limestone,  was 
somewhat  hastily  constructed,  and  has  a  superabundance  of 
windows;  but  its  situation  is  fine,  and  a  general  view  of  it 
pleasing.  The  palace  garden  is  beautiful,  cool,  and  shady. 
Services  are  held  in  the  chapel  every  Sabbath,  and  those  who 
attend  have  the  opportunity  of  seeing  the  king,  who  worships 
devoutly. 

We  attended  services  on  Sabbath  morning  at  the  mission  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Kalapothakes,  and  heard  him  preach;  and  later 
we  went  to  a  Greek  church,  where  the  singing  was  character- 
istically fine,  and  the  services  ornate  and  protracted. 

The  objects  in  Athens  which  I  most  desired  to  see  were 
the  ruins,  battlefields,  scenes  of  particular  tragic  events,  and 
haunts  of  the  philosophers,  poets,  sages,  orators,  and  teachers 
who  gave  Greece  its  real  glory.  The  Arch  of  Hadrian,  which 
divides  the  old  from  the  new  city,  has  been  gnawed  by  the 
tooth  of  Time,  but  inscriptions  make  it  an  historic  landmark. 
Upon  the  side  next  the  town,  in  Greek,  is  this  inscription: 
"This  is  Athens,  the  old  city  of  Theseus."  On  the  other  side: 
"  This  is  the  city  of  Hadrian,  and  not  of  Theseus."  This  arch 
dates  back  at  least  to  150  A.  D. 

Fifteen  Corinthian  columns  of  the  Olympieum  are  all  that 
remain  of  a  work  that  began  five  centuries  before  Christ,  stood 
unfinished  for  more  than  three,  was  then  carried  forward,  de- 
spoiled, and  finally  completed  by  Hadrian.  Only  the  Temple 
of  Diana  at  Ephesus  surpassed  it  in  the  vastness  of  its  dimen- 
sions. The  people  congregate  here  on  summer  evenings,  and 
refreshments  may  be  obtained.  There  is  always  a  breeze,  and 
views  of  mountain,  plain,  city,  and  bay  are  fine. 

The  Stadium,  scene  of  the  Panathen^an  games,  would  accom- 
modate fifty  thousand  spectators,  as  it  had  sixty  rows  -of  seats 
running  all  around  it,  the  reserved  seats  being  made  of  mar- 
ble. It  is  still  impressive,  and  has  been  improved  within  the  last 
twenty  years  at  the  expense  of  the  king.  It  gives  the  visitor 
27 


520  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

a  peculiar  sensation,  no  matter  how  often  it  is  repeated,  to 
tell  him,  as  he  wanders  among  such  scenes,  that  succeeding 
generations  have  burned  up  statues  and  columns  for  the  lime 
that  their  marble  contained. 

The  theater  of  Dionysus  (Bacchus)  has  been  made  intelli- 
gible since  1876,  and  more  can  be  learned  about  it  now  in  a 
half  hour  than  prior  to  that  time  could  have  been  laboriously 
deciphered  in  a  week.  The  student  who  recalls  the  fact  that 
this  is  "  the  cradle  of  dramatic  art  of  Greece,  the  spot  in 
which  the  masterpieces  of  ^Eschylus,  Sophocles,  Euripides, 
and  Aristophanes  first  excited  delight  and  admiration,"  will 
wish  to  linger  here. 

Our  way  to  the  Acropolis  led  past  the  Odeum  of  Herodes 
Atticus.  Ascending  the  steps  to  the  bastion  supporting  the 
Temple  of  Nike,  we  passed  through  the  Propylsea,  and  with 
each  step  amazement  deepened.  Its  colonnades,  columns,  steps 
of  marble,  Eleusinian  stone,  massive  walls,  and  mingling  of 
Ionic  and  Doric  styles,  made  up  a  stupendous  composite  which 
I  confess  myself  unable  to  describe  without  transferring  bodily 
the  plans  and  specifications  prepared  by  the  Archaeological 
Society.  Yet,  though  almost  mentally  paralyzed  in  the 
Propylaea,  I  was  able  to  perceive  the  superiority  of  the 
Parthenon,  but  only  after  exploring  it  for  hours,  and  viewing 
it  from  every  point.  The  sense  of  its  grandeur  culminated  in 
the  conviction  that  it  is  the  most  magnificent  work  ever  ex- 
ecuted by  the  hand  of  man.  In  the  union  of  delicate  art  with 
massiveness  it  had  no  equal.  The  ruins  of  Egypt  are  more 
amazing;  these  more  attractive.  There  brute  force  is  seen; 
here  force  guided  by  highly-trained  intellect  and  molded  by 
exquisite  sensibility.  In  the  Parthenon  one  feels  rather  than 
thinks.  The  mental  image  of  the  whole,  but  not  of  its  parts, 
is  brought  away.  To-day  I  can  see  the  vast  inclosure  as  dis- 
tinctly as  though  I  had  spent  yesterday  upon  that  summit 
where  two  thousand  years  ago  the  Parthenon  was  dedicated  to 
religious  worship.  If  in  its  present  ruined  state  it  so  affects 
the  mind,  what  must  it  have  been  when  crowned  with  the 
magnificent  sculptures  of  Phidias? 

I  discovered  that  some  of  the  descriptions  which  I  had 
read  were  dependent  upon  the  imagination.  Visitors  to 


ATHENS.  521 

London  may  see  many  of  the  best  sculptures  in  the  British 
Museum  ;  they  are  known  as  the  Elgin  Marbles,  and  give 
greater  assistance  in  forming  an  idea  of  the  ornamentation 
of  the  Parthenon  than  can  now  be  obtained  in  Athens. 

Wonderful  as  were  these  buildings,  the  superb  site  upon 
which  they  were  placed  increased  their  effect.  To-day,  one 
standing  upon  that  hill  can  see  the  bay  of  Phaleron,  the  town 
and  harbor  of  Piraeus,  the  island  of  Salamis,  the  coast  as  far 
as  Corinth,  and  mountains  nearly  a  hundred  miles  distant  upon 
the  horizon. 

Separated  from  the  Acropolis  by  a  shallow  depression  is 
Areopagus,  or  Mars'  Hill.  Here  sat  an  ancient  court,  having 
supreme  jurisdiction  in  all  cases  of  life  and  death.  On  the 
north  side  of  it  lay  the  market  place.  To  Athens  Paul  came 
from  Berea,  and  waited  for  Silas  and  Timotheus.  When  he 
saw  the  city  wholly  given  up  to  idolatry,  he  disputed  in  the 
synagogues  with  the  Jews,  and  in  the  market.  It  was  scarce 
five  minutes'  walk  from  the  market  to  the  summit  of  Mars' 
Hill,  and  it  is  agreed  that  probably  on  the  hillside  toward 
the  market  Paul  delivered  the  sermon  recorded  in  the  seven- 
teenth of  Acts.  No  church  has  been  built  there;  the  hill  is 
as  bare  as  any  desolate  rock,  and  is  one  of  the  few  places 
not  monopolized  by  the  Jews,  or  by  either  of  the  two  great 
divisions  of  Christianity,  the  Latin  and  the  Greek,  which  have 
disputed  for  the  possession  of  the  Eastern  World. 

Some  of  the  English-speaking  travelers  and  residents  de- 
sired to  hold  a  religious  service  upon  Mars'  Hill,  which  was 
done  about  4  P.  M.  on  Sunday.  When  the  time  came  a  small 
and  select  audience  assembled,  representing  England,  Scot- 
land, five  States  of  the  Union,  Canada,  and  seven  religious 
denominations.  Three  Christian  bodies  were  represented  in 
the  conduct  of  the  services.  Dr.  Bancroft,  a  minister  of  the 
Congregational  communion,  read  the  Scriptures  and  offered 
prayer ;  the  sermon  was  delivered  by  the  writer ;  and  the 
closing  prayer  was  made  by  Mr.  Mills,  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  President  of  Earlham  College  in  Indiana.  Not  far 
away  stood  several  priests  of  the  Greek  Church  closely  watch- 
ing the  proceedings.  More  forcible  than  anything  said  or 
sung  was  the  fact  that,  though  Paul  was  driven  out  of  Athens, 


522 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


in  every  part  of  the  civilized  world  the  religion  which  he 
preached  is  revered,  and  not  one  human  being  remains  to 
worship  the  gods  in  whose  honor  was  erected  the  Parthe- 
non, to  which  our  voices  reached.  Of  Paul's  sermon  it  is 
said  that  "  some  mocked:  and  others  said,  We  will  hear  thee 
again  of  this  matter.  So  Paul  departed  from  among  them. 
Howbeit  certain  men  clave  unto  him,  and  believed:  among 
the  which  was  Dionysius  the  Areopagite,  and  a  woman  named 
Damaris,  and  others  with  them."  Not  far  from  the  place  of 
our  service,  toward  the  west,  are  the  ruins  of  the  Christian 
church  dedicated  to  Dionysius  the  Areopagite,  everything 
indicating  that  this  spot,  now  utterly  desolate,  was  densely 
populated  in  the  time  of  Paul;  for  when  he  visited  Athens  the 
city  was  at  the  height  of  its  magnificence. 

The  hill  of  the  Pnyx,  famous  as  a  place  of  meeting  of  the  po- 
litical assemblies  of  the  Athenians,  and  where  were  delivered 
the  orations  of  Demosthenes  and  of  all  the  great  orators,  com- 
mands an  inspiring  spectacle.  The  foundations  of  the  Bema, 
or  orator's  stage,  can  yet  be  traced.  The  place  of  assembly 
was  an  artificial  terrace,  two  hundred  and  twelve  feet  wide, 
and  three  hundred  and  ninety-five  feet  long. 

Athens  contains  numerous  public  institutions;  among  them 
the  Academy  of  Science;  the  University,  which  has  fifteen  hun- 
dred students;  the  Library;  the  Polytechnic  Institute,  contain- 
ing Egyptian  antiquities;  and  the  Museum  of  the  Archaeological 
Society.  Dr.  Schliemann's  private  residence  we  found  as  in- 
teresting as  any  other  place  in  the  city. 

At  the  American  School  I  presented  letters  of  introduction 
which  had  been  kindly  furnished  me  by  Professor  Van  Ben- 
schoten,  who  spent  one  year  in  Athens  as  head  of  that  school. 
To  our  regret,  the  director,  Dr.  Charles  Waldstein,  was  absent 
from  the  city.  The  number  of  students  was  only  seven,  but  these 
were  pursuing  special  courses,  and,  making  Athens  a  center, 
were  exploring  the  classic  cities,  accompanied  by  the  professors. 

I  ascended  Mount  Lykabettos,  nine  hundred  and  ten  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  an  easy  ascent,  though  steep.  On 
the  summit  is  the  little  Chapel  of  St.  George.  The  view 
rewards  the  climb,  as  it  includes  a  more  remarkable  historical 
prospect  than  any  similar  height  near  Rome  can  boast. 


ATHENS.  523 

The  home  of  Sophocles  is  known  as  the  Kolonos,  and  those 
who  visit  it  may  see  the  graves  of  Otfried  Mueller  and  Charles 
Lenormant.  But  more  attractive  to  me  was  the  site  of  the 
Academy  where  Plato  and  others  taught.  To  visit  the  city  of 
Plato,  Aristotle,  Themistocles,  Thucydides,  Aristides,  Pericles, 
and  Demosthenes;  to  be  where  they  lived  and  wrote  and  spoke, 
and  where  the  chisel  of  Phidias  carved  immortality  for  him- 
self and  his  native  country,  accomplishes  for  Grecian  history 
what  a  visit  to  Palestine  performs  for  Jewish, — transforms  it 
from  dead  literature  into  a  living  form. 


524  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 
Corinth. 

En  route — Situation  and  Importance — History — The  Modern  Town — Ruins 
at  Old  Corinth — Kraneion,  the  Home  of  Diogenes— Prospect  from  Aero- 
Corinth — Characteristics  of  the  Greek  People. 

FOR  various  reasons  the  traveler  for  pleasure  will  choose 
the  train  rather  than  the  steamer  in  going  from  Athens  to 
Corinth.  The  road  runs  north  across  the  Attic  Plain;  west 
through  the  valley  formed  by  Mount  ^Egaleos  and  Mount 
Parnes;  and  along  the  boundary  line  between  Attica  and 
Megara,  giving  views  of  the  Bay  of  Eleusis  and  the  coast 
of  Salamis.  After  crossing  the  plain  of  Megara,  we  passed 
through  mountains,  rocky  cuttings,  narrow  passes,  and  through 
the  midst  continually  of  sea  and  mountain  views,  until,  having 
traveled  fifty-seven  miles  bristling  with  mythological,  poetic, 
and  classic  associations,  we  reached  Corinth. 

New  Corinth  has  eight  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  three  and 
a  half  miles  northeast  of  the  old  town.  A  canal  has  recently 
been  cut  across  the  Isthmus  of  Corinth,  connecting  the  gulf 
with  the  Saronic  Gulf;  but  this  is  only  the  carrying  out  of  a 
project  conceived  in  the  early  period  of  the  history  of  Greece, 
contemplated  in  the  times  of  Caesar,  Nero,  and  Hadrian,  but 
remaining  incomplete  until  1881.  It  was  built  by  a  French 
company,  is  three  and  a  half  miles  long,  and  reduces  the  journey 
from  Messina  to  the  Piraeus  from  fifty-eight  hours  to  less  than 
half  that  time;  it  also  diminishes  the  journey  from  Messina  to 
Constantinople  by  two  days.  Being  one  hundred  feet  wide, 
it  is  almost  as  striking  in  appearance  as  the  Suez  Canal.  The 
railway  crosses  it  at  the  height  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet; 
and  there  are  two  breakwaters,  each  seven  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  feet  long,  having  lighthouses  on  the  ends. 

There  is  nothing  at  New  Corinth  of  special  interest,  as  the 
place  is  not  forty  years  old.  Situated  on  a  narrow  isthmus, 
which  connected  northern  Greece  with  the  Peloponnesus, 


o 


CORINTH.  527 

and  near  both  seas,  no  city  ever  had  a  more  favorable  sit- 
uation than  Corinth,  and  from  this  its  ancient  renown  and 
prosperity  were  derived.  As  a  center  of  trade  in  the  Greek 
world,  until  the  Persian  wars  it  had  but  two  rivals,  ^gina 
and  Miletus,  in  Asia  Minor.  By  404  B.  C.  the  glory  of  Corinth 
had  culminated.  It  passed  through  various  vicissitudes,  each 
leaving  it  permanently  worse  than  before,  until  it  was  destroyed 
by  Rome  under  the  Consul  Lucius  Mummius,  by  whom  its  ter- 
ritories were  divided,  its  people  enslaved.  After  this  it  was 
uninhabited  for  a  hundred  years,  when  Caesar  reestablished 
it,  and  its  fortunate  site  gave  it  speedy  prosperity.  "This 
was  the  Corinth  that  St.  Paul  knew,  the  most  splendid  com- 
mercial city  of  Greece,  and  the  chosen  abode  of  luxurious 
materialism  and  frivolous  immorality." 

But  where  is  its  glory  now  ?  Old  Corinth  lay  in  the  plain, 
which  gradually  ascended  to  the  foot  of  the  citadel,  and  orig- 
inally had  a  circumference  of  five  miles;  but  the  walls,  which 
extended  to  the  sea,  would  make  a  circuit  of  fourteen  miles. 
There  are  some  columns,  the  remains  of  a  temple  which  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  oldest  Doric  monuments.  The  columns  are 
twenty-three  and  a  half  feet  high,  and  nearly  six  feet  wide  at 
the  base.  Besides  these  there  are  only  a  few  miserable  houses 
and  the  inn. 

Not  a  great  distance  from  the  tavern  is  the  suburb  of 
Kraneion,  where  Diogenes  lived,  and  which  was  the  scene  of 
the  famous  visit  to  him  of  Alexander  the  Great.  All  that  can 
be  seen  at  Old  Corinth  is  so  insignificant  as  to  be  scarcely 
worth  a  visit;  but  the  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  Acropolis, 
or  Aero-Corinth,  should  on  no  account  be  omitted.  For  this 
our  horses  were  detached  from  the  carriages  and  saddled  for 
the  steep  climb  of  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  which  brought 
us  to  a  point  where  they  could  no  longer  be  used.  Three 
lines  of  fortifications,  built  in  the  Middle  Ages,  give  an  almost 
inaccessible  aspect  to  the  citadel.  Ruins  of  houses  and  chapels 
are  scattered  about,  and,  the  prowess  and  conquests  of  Venice 
having  extended  as  far  as  Corinth,  old  Venetian  cannon  still 
lie  there.  A  cistern  nearly  one  hundred  feet  long  is  a  relic  of 
the  Roman  period. 

A  steady  climb  of  a  half  hour  was  required  to  reach  the  sum- 


528  TRAVI.LS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

mil  of  the  Aero-Corinth,  nearly  two  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  The  atmosphere  was  pellucid,  and  the  view 
was  more  helpful  to  the  comprehension  of  much  of  the  impor- 
tant geography  of  Greece  than  any  map,  however  carefully 
prepared.  The  mountains  of  Argolis,  beyond  which  is  the 
plain  of  Argos;  the  Arcadian  chain,  the  Corinthian  Gulf,  like 
a  sea  of  glass;  the  mass  of  mountains  in  Boeotia,  Phocis,  and 
JKtolia;  the  Peloponnesian  mountains;  Parnassus,  Helicon, 
the  Hill  of  the  Muses;  the  Saronic  Gulf,  Salamis,  ^Egina, 
many  other  islands,  and  the  Attic  Peninsula,  were  all  visible, 
and  good  eyes  could  see  Athens,  with  the  Acropolis  and  the 
Parthenon.  This  is  one  of  the  grand  views  of  the  world,  equal 
in  beauty  to  that  from  the  summit  of  Vesuvius,  and  far  ex- 
celling it  in  sublimity. 

The  desolation  of  the  Aero-Corinth  is  not  so  complete  as  to 
obscure  all  traces  of  its  former  grandeur.  In  the  Middle 
Ages  it  was  of  no  importance,  but  in  1558  the  Turks  captured 
the  fortress.  In  1682  the  Venetians  took  it,  but  it  was  recap- 
tured by  the  Turks  in  1715,  who  held  it  till  1821,  when  the 
Greeks  threw  off  the  Turkish  yoke.  The  ruins  illustrate  all 
these  struggles.  In  the  worship  of  ancient  Corinth,  Apollo 
received  high  honors,  but  Venus  was  the  presiding  deity,  and 
on  the  summit  of  the  Aero-Corinth  stood  a  temple  to  her, 
within  whose  precincts  was  practiced  shameless  debauchery, 
such  as  the  apostle  says  is  not  to  be  named. 

The  community  that  Paul  founded  there  was  continually 
lapsing.  It  assists  to  the  understanding  of  many  references  in 
his  epistles  to  remember  that  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that 
the  Christian  community  was  at  all  numerous  relatively  to  the 
whole  population. 

The  manners  of  the  people  in  places  of  business,  upon  the 
streets,  and  in  the  hotels  show,  that  the  Greek  people  are 
unusually  cheerful,  vivacious,  intelligent,  and  graceful.  At  the 
churches  the  ladies  are  noticeable  for  symmetry  of  form,  ex- 
cellent taste  in  dress,  and  in  some  instances  for  remarkable 
beauty.  In  Athens  the  Greek  women  generally  dress  like  the  rest 
of  the  population  of  Europe,  though  some,  especially  the  poor, 
wear  a  fez  adorned  with  a  gold  thread  tassel.  The  Albanian 
costume  is  worn  by  many  of  the  men;  and  the  Albanian  peas- 


CORINTH. 

ant  women  are  picturesque,  in  their  full  waists,  embroidered 
at  the  sleeves,  and  kept  in  place  by  a  leathern  girdle,  the 
whole  covered  with  a  short,  white  wool  jacket,  and  with  their 
heads  and  necks  encircled  by  strings  of  coins. 

The  men  of  the  wealthier  class  are  faultlessly  attired,  and 
in  public  places  the  better  class  of  children  appear  respect- 
ful to  their  parents,  while  on  the  best  of  terms  with  them. 
What  travelers  and  merchants  say  of  the  Greeks  is  not  at  all 
to  their  credit  as  respects  honesty  and  truth.  A  representa- 
tive of  an  English  house,  who  has  for  years  traveled  in  the 
East,  declares  that  a  Greek  can  outwit  a  Jew,  and  an  Arme- 
nian is  too  sharp  for  a  Greek.  I  could  learn  nothing  of  impor- 
tance to  the  formation  of  an  opinion  as  to  the  national 
character  of  the  people.  Unfortunately,  almost  all  represen- 
tations agree  in  calling  them  a  caricature  of  the  French;  there 
is,  however,  this  to  be  said :  they  have  a  strong  desire  to  improve 
socially  and  politically,  and  are  patriotic.  Wherever  they  go 
they  love  their  own  country  and  wish  to  return  to  it,  and  "it 
is  a  common  occurrence  for  Greeks  who  have  made  fortunes 
abroad  to  bequeath  or  present  their  wealth  to  their  native 
country  for  the  erection  of  churches,  schools,  or  orphanages, 
the  endowment  of  libraries,  or  some  similar  object."  Anony- 
mous gifts  are  made  for  benevolent  and  patriotic  purposes  in 
large  amounts  and  in  considerable  numbers,  the  good  effects 
of  which  we  saw  in  several  institutions. 

Greece  appears  to  be  the  original  home  of  the  supposed  ex- 
clusively American  practice  of  treating,  for  when  two  or  more 
persons  drink  wine  or  coffee  together  "it  is  the  invariable 
custom  that  one  pays  for  all." 

The  Greeks  have  one  habit  which  might  be  introduced 
elsewhere  with  advantage.  Men  have  often  looked  with 
envy  upon  women  who  converse  by  the  hour,  their  hands  busy 
with  knitting,  crocheting,  embroidering,  or  some  other  oc- 
cupation which  does  not  employ  the  mind,  whereas  men  have 
nothing  to  do — a  fact  which  has  a  bearing  upon  the  practice 
of  smoking,  whereby  in  the  intervals  of  conversation  they  are 
occupied  pleasantly,  often  forging  chains  which  they  would  be 
glad  to  break.  In  Greece  the  men  would  be  supposed  to  be 
religious,  from  the  fact  that  they  generally  carry  strings  of 


53° 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


beads :  they  are  not,  however,  rosaries  used  for  religious  pur- 
poses, but  "simply  supply  a  mechanical  occupation  for  the 
hands  during  conversation,"  equivalent  to  Yankee  whittling. 

Here,  as  in  Italy,  I  saw  conclusive  evidence  that  the  glory 
of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome  was  due  largely  to  the  extraor- 
dinary situation  occupied  by  these  nations.  Greece  was  as  near 
to  Asia  as  to  the  rest  of  Europe;  Italy  near  to  Greece,  and 
almost  in  contact  with  Africa;  both  of  them  maritime;  both  so 
situated  as  to  have  extraordinary  commercial  advantages,  and 
when  they  rose  into  power  the  remainder  of  the  continent  of 
Europe  and  adjacent  islands  was  in  the  hands  of  barbarians 
who  could  not  contend  successfully  with  Rome  and  Greece  until 
those  nations  were  enervated  by  luxury.  The  development 
of  the  world  has  moved  upon  other  lines,  and  it  is  impossible 
that  Greece  should  ever  become  one  of  the  first  powers,  or  that 
Italy  should  rival  ancient  Rome.  Those  nations,  though  dead, 
yet  speak  in  the  classic  models  of  architecture  and  sculpture 
and  the  standards  of  excellence  in  poetry,  oratory,  and  even 
philosophy. 

I  came  away  from  Greece  convinced  that  it  is  a  misnomer  to 
speak  of  Greek  as  a  dead  language.  A  student  who  will  take 
the  trouble  to  examine  the  specimens  of  English  used  three 
hundred  years  ago  will  find  that  modern  Greek  as  a  written 
language  is  more  like  ancient  Greek  than  modern  English  is 
like  ancient  English.  But  with  spoken  Greek  it  is  not  so.  It 
is  said  to  require  a  month  of  close  study  in  Athens,  under  a 
teacher,  for  a  person  familiar  with  ancient  Greek  to  become 
qualified  to  converse  with  the  people. 

To  the  traveler  in  health  I  unhesitatingly  recommend  Greece 
for  knowledge  or  pleasure.  Eight  weeks,  half  of  them  spent 
in  the  saddle,  is  a  sufficient  allowance  for  general  travelers; 
but  if  one  cannot  stay  more  than  a  fortnight,  he  should  select 
a  few  things  rather  than  attempt  many;  for  Greece,  like 
Egypt,  is  confusing  unless  time  be  taken  for  assimilation. 


CONSTANTINOPLE. 


CHAPTER  LXIV. 
Constantinople. 

Salonica-Mount  Athos-The  Dardanelles-Beauty  of  Constantinople  Seen 
from  the  Sea  of  Marmora-The  Golden  Horn-Constantinople  Made  up  of 
Three  Dissimilar  Cities-Disenchantment— Dr.  Long-The  Seraglio-Im- 
perial Gate— Santa  Sophia. 

FROM  Athens  we  returned  to  the  Piraeus  to  embark  for 
Constantinople.  The  sky  was  clear  and  the  sea  smooth. 
Standing  upon  the  deck  we  looked  long  upon  the  mountains, 
finding  our  farewell  glimpses  even  more  impressive  and  pleas- 
ing than  those  obtained  on  arriving.  It  is  impossible  that  the 
effect  of  sea,  land,  and  sky  should  not  in  large  measure  have 
given  their  character  to  the  Greeks.  The  most  stolid  could 
not  gaze  unmoved.  Energy  breathes  in  the  air  and  dashes  in 
the  waves.  Adventurous  fishermen,  sturdy  farmers,  enter- 
prising merchants,  active  colonists,  with  the  products  of  art, 
the  effusions  of  poetry,  and  the  impulses  of  oratory,  found 
not  only  congenial  surroundings,  but  adequate  sources  and  re- 
sources in  this  wonderful  land. 

We  were  now  to  traverse  a  sea  as  renowned  as  any  upon 
whose  waters  we  had  sailed.  As  the  steamer  moved  northward 
along  the  coast,  during  the  day  our  eyes  were  strained  to 
identify  the  more  celebrated  points,  and  in  the  night  to  dis- 
cern the  lights  upon  the  mainland  and  islands,  each  suggesting 
some  name  famous  in  times  of  old.  Soon  we  reached  the 
gulf  and  shore  of  Salonica,  a  part  of  ancient  Macedonia,  other- 
wise Thessalonica.  To  the  Thessalonians  Paul  wrote  his 
Epistles.  There,  too,  Cicero  lived  as  an  exile.  The  city  of 
Salonica  has  a  population  of  more  than  a  hundred  thousand. 

Another  prominent  feature  is  Mount  Athos,  standing  upon 
one  of  the  three  prongs  of  the  peninsula,  bounded  by  the  Gulf 
of  Salonica  on  the  southwest  and  the  sea  on  the  northeast.  It 
is  a  resort  of  pilgrims,  has  one  or  more  monasteries  supported 
by  each  of  the  different  nations  recognizing  the  Greek  Church, 


532  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

and  other  places  of  private  retirement  under  the  influence  of 
esoteric  principles. 

Constantine's  mother  is  credited  with  being  the  founder  of 
the  first  of  these  monasteries.  No  woman  is  allowed  upon 
the  peninsula,  and  all  female  animals  are  excluded.  Even 
the  Turkish  officer  cannot  have  a  woman  in  his  house.  The 
government  is  by  a  holy  synod  of  twenty  deputies,  one  from 
each  monastery,  and  four  chosen  from  the  community. 

Among  the  islands,  Samothracia,  Tenedos,  and  Lemnos 
are  the  most  important.  Threading  the  cluster  of  little  islets 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Hellespont,  we  entered  the  strait,  the 
current  being  strong  enough  to  retard  our  progress,  and  passed 
in  succession  the  points  where  Xerxes's  bridge  of  boats  was 
built,  where  the  army  of  Alexander  crossed  from  Europe  to 
Asia,  where  the  crescent  was  first  planted  in  Europe,  A.  D. 
1360,  by  Suliman,  son  of  Orchan,  and  where  Leander  and  Lord 
Byron  swam  across. 

Two  ancient  fortresses,  called  the  castles  of  Europe  and  Asia, 
stand  here,  where  the  strait  is  but  eight  hundred  yards  wide. 
That  on  the  Asiatic  side  is  known  as  the  "Earthenware 
Castle,"  from  a  famous  manufactory  of  pottery.  If  properly 
fortified,  it  would  be  impossible  for  hostile  vessels  to  pass.  In 
old  times  brass  guns  and  stone  shot  were  used,  but  now  some 
of  the  forts  are  supplied  with  Krupp  guns. 

Finally  we  emerged  into  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  occupying 
ourselves  with  the  thought  of  approaching  a  city  built  to  rival 
and  supersede  Rome;  an  event  contributing  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  most  stupendous  empire  of  the  world.  This  sea  is 
one  hundred  and  eight  miles  long. 

Of  all  descriptions, -none  are  so  florid  as  those  of  the  ap- 
proach to  Constantinople  and  of  the  Sea  of  Marmora;  even 
the  prosaic  compilers  of  guidebooks  unite  to  assert  that  there 
is  no  lovelier  scene  upon  earth  than  that  which  confronts  the 
traveler  who  approaches  Constantinople.  De  Amicis,  the 
romantic,  gives  a  summary  of  the  observations  of  celebrated 
writers  who  are  in  despair  of  attaining  a  true  description. 
"  Perthusiers  stammers;  Tournefort  says  that  language  is 
impotent;  Fonqueville  thinks  himself  transported  to  another 
planet;  La  Croix  is  bewildered;  the  Vicomte  de  Marcellus  be- 


o 


o 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  535 

comes  ecstatic;  Lamartine  gives  thanks  to  God;  Gautier  doubts 
the  reality  of  what  he  sees."  He  further  says  that  a  cold  Ger- 
man declares  that  the  loveliest  illusions  of  youth,  and  even 
the  dreams  of  a  first  love,  are  pale  imaginations  in  the  pres- 
ence of  that  sense  of  sweetness  that  pervades  the  soul  at  the 
sight  of  this  enchanted  region.  Chateaubriand,  though  writ- 
ing coolly,  says  that  it  is  the  most  beautiful  spectacle  in  the 
world.  Lady  Mary  Wortley  Montagu  puts  "perhaps"  be- 
fore that  description,  "as  if  leaving  the  first  place  to  her  own 
beauty." 

The  captain  advised  us  to  rise  before  dawn,  as  the  finest 
view  is  to  be  obtained  at  that  time.  Principal  Bancroft  and 
myself  were  on  deck  among  the  earliest,  but  the  youngest 
member  of  our  party  overslept,  to  his  sorrow  and  ours  also;  for 
without  attempting  what  the  most  skillful  descriptive  writers 
have  failed  in,  I  declare  the  spectacle  to  be  marvelous. 

The  situation  of  Constantinople  would  give  to  any  city  a 
magnificent  appearance  in  whatever  style  of  architecture  con- 
structed. The  Sea  of  Marmora  is  clasped  to  the  Black  Sea, 
the  Euxine  of  antiquity,  by  the  Bosporus,  an  arm  seventeen 
miles  long,  and  varying  in  breadth  from  six  hundred  yards  to 
two  miles.  In  the  middle  it  is  about  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
feet  wide.  Bosporus  appears  to  be  an  ancient  name,  signifying 
literally  Ox-ford.  There  is  a  legend  that  it  was  given  to  the 
strait  because  across  it  swam  lo,  transformed  into  a  cow. 
Others  suppose  that  the  name  was  given  because  the  strait  is 
so  narrow  that  an  ox  could  swim  it.  The  name  was  common 
in  antiquity,  and  therefore  this  was  called  the  Thracian  Bos- 
porus. 

We  left  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  and  passed  into  the  Bosporus, 
which  here  divides  Europe  from  Asia.  There  are  several  gulfs, 
each  forming  two  promontories.  By  far  the  most  important 
of  these  is  reached  soon  after  entering  the  strait.  It  is  at 
right  angles  with  the  Bosporus,  and  appears  at  first  so  to  con- 
tinue; but  on  entering  Europe  it  curves  like  the  horn  of  an  ox, 
and  this  is  the  far-famed  Golden  Horn.  It  was  anciently  the 
port  of  Byzantium,  founded  nearly  seven  hundred  years  be- 
fore Christ,  on  the  promontory  which  faces  Asia  and  stems 
the  waters  of  the  Bosporus;  and  because  through  it  flowed  the 


536  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

commerce  of  three  continents  it  is  worthy  to  be  called  the 
"Horn  of  Abundance. "  Through  all  the  early  ages  the  an- 
cients fought  for  Byzantium,  notably  the  Persians,  Spartans, 
and  Athenians.  It  was  to  stir  the  Athenians  to  help  to  defend 
that  city  against  Philip  of  Macedon  that  Demosthenes  delivered 
his  greatest  oration.  The  tradition  is  that  as  the  Macedo- 
nians were  about  to  succeed,  a  light  appeared  in  the  heavens  in 
the  form  of  a  crescent,  by  means  of  which  they  saw  and  es- 
caped their  danger.  When  the  Mohammedans  finally  conquered 
Constantinople  they  found  upon  the  Byzantine  coins  the  cres- 
cent commemorating  this  event,  therefore  it  was  adopted  as 
the  device  of  the  conquerors  of  Constantinople. 

When  Rome  conquered  the  Grecian  world  Byzantium  came 
under  its  control,  and  in  A.  D.  330  was  made  by  Constantine 
the  seat  of  his  empire.  In  668  the  Arabs  attacked  it,  but  the 
mighty  walls  and  Greek  fire  repelled  them.  Though  besieged 
by  Russians  and  by  Latin  crusaders  and  Mohammedans,  not 
until  1453  was  it  finally  captured  by  the  Turks  under  Moham- 
med II. 

It  has  suffered  twenty-four  sieges,  eighteen  of  which  it  re- 
sisted successfully. 

Constantinople  now  really  consists  of  three  distinct  and  dis- 
similar cities.  Stamboui,  the  Turkish  city,  occupies  the  site 
in  large  part  of  Byzantium;  the  Sea  of  Marmora  on  the  south, 
the  Golden  Horn  to  the  north,  and  the  Bosporus  to  the  east. 
In  shape  it  is  triangular,  and  it  requires  a  ride  of  fourteen 
miles  to  make  the  circuit  of  the  sides.  The  Golden  Horn  is 
twenty-five  hundred  feet  wide  at  the  mouth,  but  gradually 
narrows.  Stamboui,  like  Rome,  rests  upon  seven  hills:  to  the 
north,  on  steep  slopes  and  over  the  summits  of  hills,  are  the 
suburbs  of  Galata,  Pera,  and  Tophane.  On  the  other  side 
are  the  European  cities  of  Galata  and  Pera,  and  a  mile  away, 
and  the  same  distance  from  Stamboui  across  the  Bosporus, 
spread  over  the  hills  and  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Golden 
Horn,  is  the  Asiatic  quarter,  Scutari. 

We  gazed  upon  the  walls  with  their  towers,  against  which 
the  sea  breaks;  Santa  Sophia;  the  countless  minarets;  the 
spruces,  pines,  firs,  and  sycamores;  the  purple  and  yellow 
houses,  the  gardens,  the  mountains  in  the  distance;  the  waters 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  537 

brilliant  in  the  warm  sunlight;  the  golden  domes  of  the  Greek 
churches.  One  minaret  is  not  especially  imposing,  but  hun- 
dreds, in  different  colors,  in  close  proximity  to  domes,  produce 
an  indescribable  charm.  In  the  distance  was  Kadi  Kaioi, 
built  upon  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Calcedonia,  once  the  rival 
of  Byzantium;  that  Calcedonia  which  was  founded  B.  C.  685 
by  the  Megarians,  to  whom,  for  having  chosen  that  site  instead 
of  the  point  where  Stamboul  stands,  the  oracle  of  Delphi  gave 
the  title  of  the  blind  people. 

Of  all  illustrations  of  distance  lending  enchantment  to  the 
view  this  stands  preeminent.  As  sunset  after  a  day  of  fogs  is 
sometimes  glorious,  and  a  few  moments  afterward  the  clouds 
lower  and  night  closes  in  mist,  so  when  one  wanders  about  the 
streets  of  Constantinople  he  finds  that  De  Amicis  does  not  exag- 
gerate when  he  says:  "  The  vision  of  this  morning  has  vanished. 
The  Constantinople  of  light  and  beauty  has  given  place  to  a 
monstrous  city  scattered  over  an  infinity  of  hills  and  valleys;  it  is 
a  labyrinth  of  human  ant-hills,  cemeteries,  ruins,  and  solitudes; 
a  confusion  of  civilization  and  barbarism  which  presents  an 
image  of  all  the  cities  upon  earth,  and  gathers  to  itself  all  the 
aspects  of  human  life.  It  is  but  the  skeleton  of  a  city,  of  which 
the  smaller  part  is  walls  and  the  rest  an  enormous  aggregation 
of  barracks,  an  interminable  Asiatic  encampment,  in  which 
swarms  a  population  which  has  never  been  counted,  of  every 
race  and  every  religion.  It  is  a  city  in  process  of  transforma- 
tion, composed  of  cities  in  decay,  cities  of  yesterday,  and 
cities  now  being  born;  everything  is  in  confusion;  on  every 
side  are  seen  traces  of  gigantic  works,  mountains  pierced,  hills 
cut  down,  houses  leveled  to  the  ground,  great  streets  designed: 
an  immense  mass  of  rubbish  and  remains  of  conflagration  upon 
ground  forever  tormented  by  the  hand  of  man.  .  .  .  Take  a 
step  in  advance,  behold  a  wide  panorama;  take  another  back- 
ward, there  is  nothing  to  be  seen;  lift  your  eyes,  a  thousand 
minarets;  descend  one  step,  they  are  all  gone.  .  .  .  An  in- 
describable architecture,  apparently  of  expediency,  lends  itself 
to  the  caprices  of  the  ground,  with  a  crowd  of  houses  cut  into 
points  in  the  form  of  triangular  towers,  of  erect  and  overturned 
pyramids,  surrounded  with  bridges,  ditches,  props,  gathered 
together  like  broken  fragments  of  a  mountain." 


538  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

Experience  of  many  cities  built  upon  hills  had  taught  me 
that  the  perspective  is  continually  foreshortened,  and  that 
'darkness  and  dampness  in  many  quarters  are  the  price  paid 
for  light  and  splendor  in  others.  Neither  is  it  possible  to 
have  rectangular  streets,  nor  to  avoid  tunnels,  precipices,  and 
embankments.  Yet  the  constant  transitions  of  view  yield 
successive  surprises  and  contrasts,  which  give  to  such  cities  a 
charm  that  those  built  upon  plains  can  never  possess  unless 
they  contain  a  multitude  of  domes,  towers,  and  spires.  It  was 
to  do  away  with  the  littleness  and  monotony  of  the  plains  that 
the  mighty  temples,  obelisks,  pyramids,  and  colossi  of  Egypt 
were  erected. 

It  took  considerable  time  to  recognize  the  ephemeral  char- 
acter of  the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  view  which  had  held 
us  entranced  upon  the  ship's  deck,  amid  the  morning  dews  and 
damps,  from  three  o'clock  until  we  landed  at  eight.  We  then 
began  to  plan  a  systematic  exploration  of  the  city,  the  result 
of  which  was  new  wonderment  which  remains  to  this  day. 

At  intervals  for  years  I  had  promised  an  old  friend,  Dr. 
Long,  of  Robert  College,  to  visit  him  in  Constantinople,  and 
at  last  had  been  able  to  inform  him  of  the  probable  time 
of  my  arrival.  Before  we  were  fairly  settled  he  honored  us 
with  a  call,  and  placed  his  time  at  our  service.  It  was  a  de- 
light to  see  the  universal  consideration  with  which  he  is 
treated  in  the  city  where  he  has  spent  so  many  years;  and  it 
was  a  constant  surprise  to  observe  him  talking  with  Turks  in 
Turkish,  Bulgarians  in  Bulgarian,  Germans  in  German,  and 
Frenchmen  in  French;  indeed,  he  seemed  as  a  magician,  in- 
dependent of  the  common  limitations  of  humanity.  Every 
man  whom  he  met  heard  him  in  his  own  tongue;  not  as  cour- 
iers who  chatter  like  magpies  their  familiar  phrases,  but  as 
one  who  understood  the  language  critically,  made  it  second 
nature,  and  spoke  it  with  the  facility  of  a  native.  Yet  Dr. 
Long  is  such  a  many-sided  man  that  he  is  not  Professor  of 
Languages,  as  might  be  supposed,  but  of  Natural  Sciences. 
He  is  practically  the  physician  among  the  Turks  of  the  region 
around  the  college,  and  the  people  who  were  constantly  com- 
ing and  going  seemed  to  regard  him  as  an  arbiter  of  life  and 
death. 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  e™ 

Taking  carriages,  we  made  the  circuit  of  the  walls  of  Stam- 
boul.  They  were  built  by  Constantine  the  Great,  and  by  his 
successors  repaired  in  alternate  courses  of  brick  and  stone 
and  extend  along  both  shores  close  to  the  sea, -the  founda- 
tion sometimes  being  under  water.  The  length  of  the  walls 
is  about  thirteen  miles.  A  traveler  who  has  seen  every 
important  wall  on  the  face  of  the  globe  declares  that  the 
walls  of  defense  which  extend  from  the  seven  towers  on  the 
Sea  of  Marmora  to  the  shore  of  the  Golden  Horn  are  not 
surpassed  elsewhere  in  the  world  in  beauty  or  desolation. 
"These  are  the  walls,"  says  a  French  traveler,  "of  Constan- 
tine— at  least,  what  is  left  of  them  after  time,  sieges,  and 
earthquakes  have  done  their  worst."  The  breaches  made  by 
catapults  and  ancient  battering  rams  are  plainly  to  be  seen. 
Some  of  the  towers  are  rent  and  their  fragments  tumbled  into 
the  ditch,  and  they  are  everywhere  overgrown  with  rank  grass, 
trees,  shrubs,  and  in  some  cases  are  held  up  by  the  roots  and 
branches  of  plants.  It  is  a  triple  wall,  with  two  rows  of 
towers.  The  late  Sultan  Abdul  Aziz  gave  these  to  his  mother 
to  be  destroyed  and  sold  for  building  materials,  and  but  for 
the  interposition  of  the  British  minister  one  of  the  finest  re- 
mains of  antiquity  would  have  been  destroyed. 

During  this  tour  we  were  accompanied  by  Professor  Millin- 
gen,  of  Robert  College,  who  has  made  a  special  study  of  me- 
diaeval architectural  remains,  and  enlightened  us  upon  many 
points. 

The  Seraglio  presents  as  great  a  contrast  to  what  it  was  as 
the  Alhambra,  yet  it  is  one  of  the  principal  features  of  Con- 
stantinople. The  palace  stands  on  the  extreme  point  of  the 
promontory  at  the  mouth  of  the  Golden  Horn,  which  stretches 
toward  Asia  at  the  entrance  to  the  Bosporus.  The  half- 
ruined  state  of  the  walls  and  towers  at  first  strikes  the  eye, 
but  not  unpleasantly.  Like  the  Alhambra,  the  buildings,  hav- 
ing been  erected  at  different  times,  according  to  the  caprice 
of  the  princes  and  Sultans,  form  an  establishment  destitute  of 
harmony.  The  buildings  are  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  the 
gardens  below  reach  to  the  sea.  The  huge  trees,  the  grass 
contrasting  with  the  sparkling  waters  of  the  Bosporus,  the 
ruined  walls,  and  the  structures  on  the  high  plateau,  give  a 
28 


54Q  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

splendid  prospect  to  an  observer  from  the  lower  points,  and 
especially  from  the  deck  of  a  vessel. 

The  Sublime  Porte,  otherwise  called  the  Babi  Humaioom, 
or  Imperial  Gate,  has  arrangements  for  luxurious  living  more 
elaborate  than  the  world  ever  saw  elsewhere.  The  kitchens 
have  no  chimneys,  but  are  surmounted  by  perforated  domes 
through  which  the  smoke  escaped.  There  are  nine  kitchens; 
the  first  was  for  the  Sultan,  the  second  for  the  chief  Sultana, 
the  third  for  the  other  Sultanas,  and  the  remainder  for  the 
officers  and  servants.  Since  the  time  of  Sultan  Mahmood 
the  Ottoman  emperors  have  not  lived  there,  but  in  the  days 
of  its  glory  the  Grand  Vizier,  assisted  by  his  counselors,  therein 
determined  all  causes  without  appeal.  In  the  same  center  of 
authority  and  regal  magnificence  embassadors  were  enter- 
tained. Interesting  collections  of  jewels,  oriental  weapons, 
carpets,  chairs,  clocks,  etc.,  are  exhibited  to  the  curious. 

Had  I  not  already  described  the  mosques  of  Morocco, 
Algiers,  Egypt,  and  Jerusalem,  I  should  attempt  a  description 
of  several  of  the  mosques  of  Constantinople;  but  as  all  are 
similar  in  general  features,  I  shall  mention  but  two  in  this 
conglomeration  of  Mohammedan  ecclesiastical  edifices. 

Santa  Sophia  was  founded  in  A.  D.  325,  the  twentieth  year 
of  the  reign  of  Constantine,  the  year  in  which  was  opened  the 
Council  of  Nice,  and  was  dedicated  to  the  second  Person  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  Eternal  Wisdom.  In  404  it  was  set  on  fire  by 
the  followers  of  Chrysostom  when  they  were  exiled;  rebuilt  by 
Theodosius  II  in  415;  burned  to  the  ground  in  532  in  the  time 
of  Justinian,  and  by  him  rebuilt  and  greatly  enlarged  in  538. 
Twenty  years  afterward  the  eastern  half  of  the  dome  fell,  but 
was  rebuilt  still  more  magnificently.  To  adorn  it  the  finest 
marble,  granite,  and  porphyry  were  brought  from  all  parts  of 
the  world ;  eight  columns  from  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Baal- 
bee,  and  many  from  Athens,  Troas,  Heliopolis,  and  Ephesus. 
The  Mohammedans  have  modified  it,  and  on  the  minarets  glit- 
ter crescents,  and  the  cupola  is  of  vast  size.  Various  mirac- 
ulous sites  are  pointed  out  and  curiosities  shown;  among  them 
the  cradle  of  the  Saviour,  and  the  basin  in  which  he  is  said  to 
have  been  bathed.  There  is  a  column  which  sweats,  and  the 
Turks  believe  that  the  dampness  which  gathers  upon  it  will 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  543 

produce  miraculous  cures.  There  is  a  mysterious  window  and 
a  stone  of  beautiful  pure  Persian  marble,  almost  transparent, 
which  reflects  the  rays  of  the  sun  with  dazzling  brilliancy. 

Having  taken  off  our  shoes  according  to  the  law,  we  entered 
the  mosque,  passing  the  cistern,  the  fountain  of  ablution,  to 
which  every  Mohammedan  goes  as  he  enters  the  holy  place. 

The  mutilation  of  the  crosses  by  the  Turks  was  apparent.  To 
one  standing  beneath  the  dome  it  seemed  as  though  balanced 
in  the  air.  This  marvelous  achievement  of  architecture  is  one 
hundred  and  seven  feet  in  diameter,  rises  forty-six  feet,  and  is 
elevated  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  ground.  On 
the  walls  are  the  names  of  the  four  attendants  of  the  Prophet. 
They  seem  to  be  supporting  four  six-winged  seraphim,  repre- 
senting Mohammedan  archangels,  Gabriel,  Michael,  Raphael, 
and  Israfel,  whose  names  are  inscribed  in  letters  ten  yards 
long.  The  original  altar  built  by  the  Christians  faced  the 
east,  but  the  Mohammedans  could  not  use  it;  for  according 
to  their  law  every  man  must  pray  with  his  face  toward  Mecca, 
which  is  southeast  from  Constantinople.  The  pulpit  is  on  the 
same  line.  Every  Friday  the  prayer  is  read  for  the  Sultan,  and 
the  Sheik  who  reads  it  has  to  carry  a  wooden  sword  into  the 
pulpit,  which  has  been  the  usage  in  all  mosques  first  dedicated 
to  Islam  through  the  power  of  arms,  in  remembrance  of  the 
custom  of  Mohammed,  who  preached  with  the  Koran  in  one 
hand  and  the  sword  in  the  other.  Two  flags  hang  there  to 
show  the  victory  of  Islam  over  Judaism  and  Christianity,  and 
of  the  Koran  over  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

As  I  was  turning  away  from  Santa  Sophia,  thinking  it  more 
magnificent  than  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  but  hardly  daring  to 
suggest  such  a  thought,  a  traveler  called  my  attention  to  a 
passage  in  the  second  volume  of  Ferguson's  Architecture,  in 
which  the  author  expresses  doubts  whether  "any  Christian 
church  exists  of  any  age  whose  interior  is  so  beautiful  as  this 
marvelous  creation  of  Byzantine  art." 


544  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

CHAPTER  LXV. 
Constantinople . — (Continued . ) 

The  Sultan's  Forty -seventh  Birthday — The  Floating  Bridge — Along  the 
Shore  of  the  Bosporus  to  the  Black  Sea — Ships  and  Boats — The  Arme- 
nians— Head  of  the  Greek  Church — Support  of  Mosques — Muezzin — Phil- 
anthropies of  the  Mosque  of  Suliman  —  Spinning  Dervishes — Robert  Col- 
lege. 

WE  arrived  in  Constantinople  on  the  forty-seventh  anni- 
versary of  the  Sultan's  birth,  and  at  night  the  city  was  gor- 
geously illuminated.  My  enthusiastic  traveling  companion 
declared  that  he  had  never  seen  anything  comparable  to  the 
brilliancy  and  variety  of  the  pyrotechnic  displays  of  that 
occasion.  Despots  while  in  power  are  certain  to  be  honored. 
Practically  they  praise  themselves;  the  people  pay  the  bills 
nolens  volens,  but  as  they  enjoy  the  spectacle,  such  exhibitions 
of  sovereign  power  and  glory  may  be  among  the  most  potent 
means  of  sustaining  the  institutions.  The  late  Czar  of 
Russia  was  received  with  eclat  on  his  visit  to  Warsaw,  but, 
a  day  or  two  before,  I  had  seen  hundreds  of  those  who  would 
not  do  him  honor  dragged  to  the  citadel,  and  in  the  streets 
through  which  he  would  pass  the  windows  were  ordered  closed, 
and  sentinels  stationed  everywhere  lest  the  bullet  of  the 
assassin,  sent  from  his  lurking  place,  find  its  way  to  the 
brain  or  heart  of  the  subject  of  such  seemingly  unanimous 
praises.  The  history  of  modern  Turkey  shows  that  soon  after 
such  celebrations  the  Sultan  may  drink  a  cup  of  coffee  that 
disagrees  with  him ! 

A  floating  bridge,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  connects  Galata 
with  the  opposite  shore  of  the  Golden  Horn.  It  would  be 
worth  a  journey  of  a  week  each  year  of  one's  life  to  stand  for 
three  hours  at  the  end  of  that  structure. 

"The  exhaustless  currents  of  human  beings  that  meet  and 
mingle  forever  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  until  his  setting 
presents  a  spectacle  before  which  the  market  places  of  India, 
the  fair  of  Nijni  Novgorod,  and  the  festivals  of  Peking  pale." 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  547 

The  fair  of  Nijni  Novgorod  surpasses  for  the  same  period 
of  time  this  pageant;  but  it  lasts  only  a  few  days,  while 
these  scenes  continue  winter  and  summer,  from  generation 
to  generation.  Turks  on  donkeys,  long  lines  of  camels; 
Negresses,  Armenians,  Greek  women  with  skullcaps  and 
streaming  hair,  Mohammedan  women  on  foot,  veiled  wom- 
en, Tartars  clad  in  sheepskins;  Catholic  priests  and  sisters 
of  charity,  Persians,  Jews,  English  travelers,  Frenchmen, 
Germans,  easily  identified;  friars  of  different  orders,  some 
bald  and  others  wearing  cowls;  military  officers;  men 
wearing  the  uniforms  of  the  navies  of  the  different  nations; 
peasants,  dervishes,  Circassians,  "who  go  in  groups  of  three 
and  five  together  with  slow  steps;  big  bearded  men,  of  ter- 
rible countenance,  wearing  bearskin  caps  like  the  old  Napo- 
leonic Guard,  long  black  caftans,  daggers  at  their  girdles, 
and  silver  cartridge  boxes  on  their  breasts;  real  figures  of 
banditti,  who  look  as  if  they  had  come  to  Constantinople  to 
sell  a  daughter  or  a  sister,  their  hands  imbrued  in  Russian 
blood."  We  went  to  this  bridge  half  a  dozen  times,  and 
learned  to  distinguish  the  Bulgarians,  Georgians,  Cossacks, 
Egyptians,  and  other  races. 

The  contrasts  in  costume  and  colors  were  astonishing.  So 
many  languages,  intensified  by  the  characteristic  voices  of 
different  peoples,  some  a  terrible  guttural  bass,  others  a  me- 
tallic baritone,  and  still  others  rising  into  shrill  cries  and 
piercing  shrieks,  made  a  startling  jargon. 

The  people  of  Constantinople  are  continually  embarking 
and  disembarking.  The  configuration  of  the  city  makes  it 
possible  to  go  from  business  to  residence  by  steamers,  much 
after  the  manner  of  the  population  of  London  along  the 
Thames,  or  of  Paris  along  the  Seine.  Many  steamers  on  the 
Bosporus  pass  alternately  along  the  Asiatic  and  European 
shores,  and  excursions  can  be  made  at  will.  The  beauty  of  the 
scenery  is  enhanced  by  unusual  formations;  for  the  Bosporus 
is  really  a  chain  of  lakes  formed  by  several  promontories  on 
the  European  shore.  "Seven  currents  in  seven  different  di- 
rections follow  windings  of  the  shore.  Each  has  a  counter 
current,  whereby  the  water  driven  by  violence  into  the  several 
bays  thus  flows  upward  in  an  opposite  direction  into  the  other 


548  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

half  of  the  channel."  Besides,  there  are  seven  bays  on  the 
European  side,  corresponding  to  the  promontories  on  the 
Asiatic,  and  only  the  unimaginative  spirit  could  fail  to  dis- 
cern what  changes  of  scenery  must  result  from  shores  thus 
broken.  The  Turkish  names  of  the  villages  are  wonder- 
fully suggestive.  A  few  on  the  European  side  are  historically 
significant,  others  pastorally.  Galata,  the  abode  of  the  god; 
Tophane,  artillery  manufacture;  others  signify  the  dried 
fountain;  the  farm  village;  European  poplar;  the  babe;  the 
hazel  nut  village.  On  the  Asiatic  side  are  the  point  of  quails, 
the  fig  village,  the  heavenly  water.  One  has  a  tragic  signifi- 
cance, the  bloody;  another  a  restful  sound,  the  weary  man's 
village. 

Dr.  Long  accompanied  us  to  the  Black  Sea,  pointing  out 
the  palaces,  villas,  and  historical  points.  From  the  remot- 
est point  of  time  of  which  records  have  been  preserved,  the 
dangers  of  navigation  at  the  entrance  of  the  Bosporus  to  the 
Black  Sea  have  been  great. 

The  Symplegades,  otherwise  the  Cyanean  rocks,  are  those 
through  which  Jason  sailed  to  capture  the  golden  fleece. 
Beacons  have  been  recently  erected,  light-ships  placed  at  the 
entrance,  and  a  service  according  to  the  practice  of  more  west- 
ern nations  has  been  established  for  the  saving  of  lives. 

The  Giant's  Mountain  is  the  highest  hill  on  the  shores  of  the 
Bosporus,  and  the  view  from  it  is  thus  described  by  Byron : 

"  The  wind  swept  down  the  Euxine,  and  the  wave 

Broke  foaming  o'er  the  blue  Symplegades. 
'Tis  a  grand  sight  from  off  the  '  Giant's  Grave ' 

To  watch  the  progress  of  these  rolling  seas 
Between  the  Bosporus,  as  they  lash  and  lave 

Europe  and  Asia,  you  being  quite  at  ease." 

We  reached  sufficient  elevations  in  some  of  our  tours  to  real- 
ize the  correctness  of  Byron's  description.  He  subsequently 
describes,  in  language  not  quite  in  harmony  with  the  standard 
of  this  age,  the  tendency  of  the  dangerous  breakers  on  the 
Euxine  to  produce  seasickness. 

The  Mohammedans  say  that  Joshua  is  buried  on  the  summit 
of  the  Giant's  Mountain,  and  Dr.  Long  informed  us  that  the 
Turks  make  pilgrimages  to  the  summit  in  order  to  be  cured  of 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  540 

diseases.  They  pray  at  the  tomb  and  drink,  in  a  cup  of  water, 
some  of  the  sand.  They  also  leave  pieces  of  their  clothes 
hanging  there,  on  the  theory  that  as  the  fragments  are  aired 
the  disease  will  disappear. 

A  delightful  excursion  was  taken  on  the  Golden  Horn.  On 
these  boats  the  fares  are  so  low,  the  crowds  so  great,  the 
steamers  so  peculiar,  and  the  divisions  upon  them  so  arbitrary, 
as  to  give  a  stranger  a  feeling  of  insecurity.  But  the  inhab- 
itants, accustomed  to  things,  have  no  fear,  and  accidents  are 
infrequent. 

Ironclads,  war  vessels,  passenger  steamers  from  every  coun- 
try in  Europe,  ships  laden  with  corn  from  Russia  or  from  the 
countries  along  the  Danube,  Greek  and  Turkish  coasters, 
surround  one,  and  among  them  "hundreds  of  kaiks  go,  and 
swift  as  dragon-flies  flit  here  and  there  with  loads  of  gold- 
bedizened  beys  or  veiled  women." 

The  spectacle  which  entrances  the  traveler  has  no  effect 
upon  the  individuals  who  afford  it.  They  never  look  at  each 
other,  have  marvelous  agility  in  keeping  out  of  each  other's 
way,  and  most  of  them,  except  where  two  or  three  are  travel- 
ing together,  are  as  silent  and  grave  in  their  appearance  as  if 
on  their  way  to  a  funeral,  though  hurrying  as  if  belated. 

The  Armenians  in  Constantinople  are  an  important  part  of 
the  population.  Their  country,  an  elevated  plain,  the  height 
of  the  central  divide  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific,  culmi- 
nating in  Mount  Ararat,  was  for  ages  the  frontier  of  Chris- 
tianity. The  Armenians,  wherever  found,  are  men  of  influence 
and  ability,  surpassing  both  Greeks  and  Jews  in  commercial 
enterprise,  especially  in  the  Turkish  empire.  Having  visited 
their  churches  in  Russia,  Jerusalem,  Greece,  and  Smyrna,  I 
was  curious  to  see  them  in  Constantinople,  and  found  their 
ritual,  while  resembling  that  of  the  Greek  Church,  to  be  less 
paganish.  The  American  Board  has  been  very  successful  in 
Constantinople  among  Armenians. 

The  head  of  the  universal  Greek  Church  is  the  Patriarch  of 
Constantinople,  and  is  greatly  venerated.  The  Russians  and 
several  other  peoples,  however,  will  not  submit  to  his  jurisdic- 
tion. The  one  requisite  among  the  Armenians  is  ability  to 
read  the  prayers  and  lessons,  and  the  unusual  spectacle  is  pre- 


55° 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


sented  of  a  large  religious  organization  whose  priests  are  in- 
ferior in  point  of  education  and  culture  to  the  majority  of  their 
people.  The  Greek  priests  are  often  still  more  ignorant. 

Struck  by  the  number  of  mosques,  I  inquired  how  they  are 
supported.  They  are  heavily  endowed,  holding  a  species  of 
mortgage  on  tracts  of  land  in  the  city,  which  are  sold  subject 
to  ground  rent,  or  mosque  tax.  If  one  proposes  to  purchase 
real  estate  in  Constantinople  the  first  question  to  be  asked  is 
whether  it  is  thus  subject,  and;  if  so,  to  what  extent;  for  who- 
ever purchases  must  pay  tribute  to  the  mosque. 

I  frequently  listened  to  the  call  to  prayer  known  as  the 
muezzin.  At  the  appointed  time  the  proper  officer  ascends 
the  minaret,  and  walks  around,  uttering  words  which  cause 
every  faithful  Mohammedan  to  perform  his  devotions.  The 
call  signifies:  "God  is  good!  Bear  witness  that  there  is  no 
god  but  God.  Bear  witness  that  Mohammed  is  the  prophet 
of  God.  Come  to  prayer!  Come  to  felicity!  God  is  great! 
There  is  no  god  but  God." 

The  Mosque  of  Suliman  the  Magnificent,  though  built  on  the 
general  pattern  of  Santa  Sophia,  was  intended  to  surpass  it.  The 
result  was  the  most  beautiful  extant  specimen  of  architecture 
originally  intended  for  a  mosque.  Here  are  the  largest  mono- 
liths in  Constantinople.  The  windows  are  ornamented  with 
flowers;  the  two  finest,  of  stained  glass,  were  captured  from 
the  Persians  by  the  founder.  Besides  being  a  place  of  worship, 
it  is  a  philanthropic  institution,  supporting  three  schools,  four 
academies  for  the  four  different  sects  of  the  faithful,  a  school 
of  medicine,  a  hospital,  a  kitchen  for  the  poor,  a  resting  place 
for  tourists,  a  library,  a  fountain,  and  a  house  of  refuge  for 
strangers. 

The  Sultan's  weekly  journey  to  the  mosque  for  religious  wor- 
ship is  an  event  in  Constantinople.  Having  obtained  through 
Mr.  Straus,  the  minister  of  the  United  States,  a  permit  to 
enter  a  house  owned  by  the  Sultan,  we  were  present  at  the  ap- 
pointed time,  immediately  in  front  of  the  mosque.  Usually 
the  Sultan  starts  about  twelve  o'clock,  and  the  name  of  the 
particular  mosque  he  intends  to  visit  is  made  known  a  little 
before  that  hour.  The  way  was  lined  with  troops,  the  body- 
guard of  the  Sultan  in  splendid  uniform  leading  the  proces- 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  553 

sion.  Until  recently  he  went  on  horseback,  but  on  this  oc- 
casion sat  in  a  carriage,  which  passed  near  us.  He  was  a  grave, 
solemn-looking  man,  appearing  much  older  than  he  really 
is;  his  beard  iron  gray,  complexion  sallow,  and  his  eyes  were 
heavy. 

On  this  occasion  there  were  several  thousand  troops,  and 
the  display  was  fine.  When  the  Sultan  had  passed,  coffee  and 
sherbet  were  served  to  us,  after  which  we  withdrew. 

Accompanied  by  Professor  Long,  who  explained  the  vari- 
ous steps  of  the  performance,  we  visited  the  spinning  der- 
vishes. They  are  named  Mevlevi,  and  performed  in  a  con- 
vent known  as  Tekke.  As  they  enter  the  circular  mosque, 
monotonous  music  is  heard,  which  is  performed  upon  a  kind 
of  flute.  The  chief  seats  himself,  and  the  dervishes  bow  before 
him;  having  removed  their  outer  garments,  they  extend  their 
arms,  raise  their  heads,  and  begin  to  spin. 

They  were  grave  and  serious,  keeping  perfect  time,  and 
their  motions  were,  though  rapid,  so  regular  and  easy  that 
their  garments  appeared  to  be  a  part  of  themselves.  It  is 
suspected  that  their  skirts  are  weighted,  as  it  seems  impossi- 
ble that  they  should  so  perfectly  follow  the  movements  of 
the  body  unless  they  received  an  impulse  which  could  not  be 
communicated  to  light  fabrics.  Dr.  Long  represented  them 
as  a  worthy  class  of  Turkish  citizens.  Viewed  as  dancers, 
they  are  entitled  to  praise  for  the  perfection  of  their  move- 
ments; but  they  exhibited  systematic  fanaticism  rather  than 
genuine  ecstasy.  There  was  no  indication  of  loss  of  conscious- 
ness as  there  was  with  the  howling  dervishes. 

More  than  seventy  orders  of  dervishes  exist  in  the  Moham- 
medan world,  some  composed  of  intelligent  men.  I  was  in- 
troduced to  a  Sheik,  and  visited  him  at  his  residence,  being 
received  with  oriental  courtesy,  and  by  the  aid  of  an  inter- 
preter had  a  memorable  religious  conversation.  The  secrets 
of  the  worship  of  that  order  I  could  not  penetrate,  as  no  one  is 
allowed  to  be  present;  but  the  room  and  its  contents  were 
shown  to  us.  The  views  expressed  of  the  Deity  by  that  di- 
vine do  not  differ  as  to  the  divine  attributes  from  those  pre- 
vailing among  Christians.  He  gave  a  definite  rank  to  Jesus 
Christ,  like  most  Mohammedans,  regarding  him  as  one  of  three 


554 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


prophets,  Moses,  Christ,  and  Mohammed,  of  whom  the  last  is 
the  greatest. 

Robert  College,  to  which  so  many  Americans  have  contrib- 
uted, is  situated  on  the  heights  of  Roumeli  Hissar,  which 
rise  on  the  shore  of  the  Bosporus,  not  far  from  the  village  of 
Bebek.  The  professors  are  gentlemen  of  high  character  and 
culture;  the  spirit  of  the  institution  all  that  could  be  desired. 
It  encounters  a  difficulty  not  met  in  anything  like  the  same 
degree  at  Beirut,  in  the  number  of  languages  and  dialects 
spoken  by  the  students. 

The  history  of  this  now  celebrated  college  blends  the  philo- 
sophical and  the  romantic.  The  American  missionaries  in 
Turkey  found,  after  a  short  time,  that  without  the  means  of  a 
higher  education  their  work  would  come  to  a  standstill.  This 
situation  became  known  to  Christopher  R.  Robert,  a  New 
York  merchant,  who  in  1860  proposed  to  Dr.  Hamlin  to  sun- 
der his  connection  with  the  American  Board  and  come  to 
America  to  raise  money  for  the  object.  Mr.  Robert  agreed 
to  pay  his  expenses  and  give  him  ten  thousand  dollars  to  start 
the  subscription.  At  that  time  he  had  no  idea  of  founding  a 
college  and  no  thought  of  giving  it  his  name,  but  he  went 
on  until,  including  what  he  bequeathed,  he  had  given  over 
four  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  the  college. 

In  1863  Dr.  Hamlin  opened  the  college  with  four  stu- 
dents. On  July  4,  1869,  the  corner  stone  was  laid.  The  new 
building  was  finished  in  May,  1871,  and  when  the  new  year 
began  in  September,  one  hundred  and  seventy  students  were 
enrolled.  For  a  number  of  years  the  Turks  refused  to  grant 
an  imperial  charter.  Since  they  granted  the  charter  the  rights 
of  the  college  have  been  respected,  and  additional  favors  have 
been  granted  when  asked.  While  they  have  sought  to  coun- 
teract the  influence  of  the  college,  they  have  done  it  "  in  a 
legitimate  way  by  the  founding  of  schools  and  colleges  of  their 
own,  and  trying  to  make  them  more  attractive  than  Robert 
College." 

During  its  history  the  institution  has  had  one  thousand  five 
hundred  and  fifty-one  students;  and  the  average  time  spent 
by  the  nongraduates  is  three,  and  by  the  graduates  six  years. 

The  majority  have  been  Americans,  Bulgarians,  and  Greeks; 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  555 

and  they  have  had,  besides  these,  Austrians,  Circassians,  Al- 
banians, Jews,  Persians,  Russians,  Armenians,  Assyrians,  Ser- 
vians, and  Turks,  and  a  few  Danes,  Frenchmen,  Italians, 
Germans,  and  English.  Of  the  alumni,  forty-six  have  be- 
come government  officials,  many  of  high  rank;  twelve  judges, 
seventy-one  teachers,  including  professors  and  principals;  ten 
editors,  twenty-two  lawyers,  twenty-four  physicians;  the  ma- 
jority of  the  students  have  become  merchants  and  bankers, 
now  scattered  all  over  the  world. 

As  the  higher  schools  in  Constantinople  are  openly  atheistic, 
while  there  is  great  jealousy  among  the  Greek  and  Armenian 
Churches  of  the  advance  of  Protestantism,  their  most  distin- 
guished ecclesiastical  authorities  are  disposed  to  support  Robert 
College  as  a  bulwark  against  atheism. 

George  Washburn,  D.D.,  is  President,  and  Professor  of 
Psychology,  Ethics,  and  Political  Economy.  Dr.  Long,  who 
originally  went  to  Turkey  and  Bulgaria  as  a  missionary  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  is  Vice  President,  and  Professor 
of  Natural  Sciences. 


556  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


CHAPTER  LXVI. 
Constantinople. — (Concluded. ) 

Turkish  Burying  Grounds  of  Scutari — English  Cemetery  and  Florence  Night- 
ingale's Hospital — American  Bible  House — Portraits  of  the  Sultans — Rise 
and  Fall  of  the  Janizaries — The  Turk — Column  of  the  Three  Serpents — 
Fountains — Censorship  of  the  Press — A  Translator  Perforce — The  Sultan 
and  Laborer. 

SCUTARI  is  the  largest  of  the  suburbs  of  Constantinople,  and 
has  been  for  ages  the  post  station  for  Asiatic  couriers,  the 
rendezvous  of  caravans  from  Asia,  and  is  the  point  where 
travelers  going  East  begin  their  journey.  It,  too,  has  seven 
hills. 

The  burying  grounds  at  Scutari  are  extensive  and  beautiful. 
A  careful  writer  says  that  probably  an  accurate  census  of  the 
present  Turkish  population  would  not  be  found  to  exceed  the 
twentieth  part  of  the  tenants  of  that  single  cemetery.  Every 
Turk  has  his  own  grave. 

The  tombstones  are  of  Marmora  marble,  and  those  which 
mark  the  graves  of  men  have  carved  upon  them  a  representa- 
tion of  the  headdress  which  they  wore  in  life.  Sultan  Mah- 
mood's  favorite  horse  is  interred  in  this  cemetery  under  a 
marble  canopy  resting  upon  six  columns. 

The  English  burying  ground  is  near  the  hospital,  the  scene 
of  the  labors  which  made  immortal  the  name  of  Florence 
Nightingale.  The  tombs  of  many  British  officers,  some  of  dis- 
tinction, are  here,  and  beneath  mounds  are  the  remains  of 
eight  thousand  nameless  dead.  The  hospital  has  been  turned 
into  barracks. 

We  ascended  hills  whence  we  commanded  a  splendid  pros- 
pect of  Stamboul,  the  Bosporus,  Sea  of  Marmora,  glimpses  of 
the  Black  Sea  and  far-off  mountains  of  Asia  and  Europe. 

The  renowned  Bible  House  of  Constantinople  is  well  adapted 
to  its  purpose;  marked  in  all  its  departments  by  evidences  of 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  557 

American   energy,    and  also  by    indications   of  conservative 
management. 

Looking  from  an  upper  window  I  perceived  a  long,  low 
block  near  by,  and  said  to  Mr.  Bliss,  who  was  conducting  us 
through  the  establishment: 

"Does  the  Bible  House  corporation  own  that  block?  " 

"It  does  not." 

"  When  that  is  removed,  if  buildings  of  the  character  of 
others  in  the  street  are  erected,  your  views  from  these  win- 
dows will  be  cut  off." 

"  No,"  said  he,  "  they  cannot  do  that;  we  own  the  air" 

"  What  does  that  mean?  " 

"  There  is  a  custom  in  Constantinople  of  selling  the 
air  above  houses,  which  makes  it  impossible  for  the  owner 
to  build  above  a  certain  point,  and  we  have  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  purchase  the  air  between  here  and  the  end  of  the 
block." 

At  the  Treasury  we  saw  bowls  full  of  rubies  and  other  precious 
stones,  reminding  me  of  the  magnificence  of  Russia.  Thence 
we  went  to  a  kiosk,  which  commands  entrancing  prospects  of 
the  gardens  and  the  Golden  Horn. 

One  of  the  members  of  the  "great  house  of  Vanderbilt " 
was  present,  and  the  consul  general  paid  special  attention 
to  him  and  to  his  party.  This  made  another  wealthy  citizen 
of  the  United  States  so  angry  that,  like  the  elder  brother  in 
the  parable  of  the  prodigal  son,  he  "would  not  go  in,"  be- 
cause he  could  not  bear  to  see  the  "consul  general  dancing 
attendance  on  Vanderbilt;" — another  scene  in  the  ceaseless 
play  of  human  ambition,  the  chief  actors  probably  alike  un- 
conscious. 

Among  the  remarkable  things  seen  that  afternoon  was 
a  succession  of  portraits  of  the  Sultans,  from  the  conquest  of 
Constantinople  down  to  the  present  time.  The  contrast 
between  the  oriental  dress  and  ferocious  aspect  of  the  con- 
querors and  the  European  attire  and  mild  look  of  the  more 
recent,  is  suggestive. 

Visiting  the  scene  of  their  massacre,  I  inquired  into  the 
history  and  examined  the  relics  of  the  Janizaries.  Beginning 
as  new  troops,  from  which  the  name  is  derived,  after  irregular 


558  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

service  of  thirty  years,  they  were  organized  in  1362,  and  formed 
the  earliest  standing  army  in  Europe. 

The  southern  Slavic  kingdoms  were  conquered,  and  one 
fifth  of  the  captives,  including  all  the  able-bodied  youth,  were 
converted  to  Islamism  and  trained  as  soldiers.  Three 
hundred  years  ago  they  were  the  best  disciplined  body 
of  soldiers  in  all  Europe.  Afterward  they  deteriorated, 
for  instead  of  being  drawn  from  the  Christian  prisoners  of 
war,  they  were  recruited  from  menials  and  idlers.  They  often 
mutinied,  and  sometimes  deposed  Sultans  or  put  them  to 
death,  and  robbed  cities  over  which  they  were  appointed  as 
guards. 

An  attempt  to  discipline  them  caused  the  abdication  and 
death  of  Selim,  and  on  November  14,  1808,  they  committed 
the  most  terrible  outrages  ever  perpetrated  in  Europe.  The 
new  Sultan  was  compelled  to  pardon  them,  but  secretly 
planned  their  destruction.  He  allured  some  of  their  officers 
and  many  Mohammedan  priests  and  dervishes  to  support  his 
views,  and  published  a  decree  that  from  each  regiment  one 
hundred  and  fifty  Janizaries  should  be  formed  into  a  regular 
militia.  At  this  they  revolted,  and  on  June  14,  1826,  were 
guilty  of  frightful  outrages.  Then  came  the  crisis  expected 
by  Mahmood  II,  when  he  determined  upon  their  destruction. 
Troops  were  in  readiness,  the  sacred  standard  of  Mohammed 
was  displayed,  and  the  best  citizens  supported  the  troops. 
Artillery,  already  in  position,  was  prepared  for  the  con- 
flict. The  end  was  this :  "  Burned  alive  in  their  bar- 
racks; cannonaded  in  the  At  Meidan  (which  we  visited), 
where  they  made  their  most  desperate  defense;  massacred 
singly  in  the  streets  during  three  months;  the  remainder 
condemned  to  exile."  More  than  twenty-five  thousand  were 
slaughtered,  since  which  time  the  Janizaries  have  ceased  to 
exist.  The  Mamelukes  of  Egypt  were  cavalry;  the  Janizaries 
infantry. 

The  present  Sultan  is  Abdul  Hamid  II.  His  brother, 
Murad,  was  the  legitimate  successor,  but  being  deposed  because 
of  insanity,  his  uncle,  Abdul  Aziz,  became  the  Sultan.  He  was 
soon  deposed  and  murdered,  and  is  now  popularly  spoken  of  as 
"Abdul  as  was." 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  559 

Wherever  I  went  among  the  Turks  I  listened  and  observed; 
for  they  differ  from  any  race  with  which  I  have  been  brought 
in  contact. 

The  term  Mohammedan  refers  to  religion;  Turk  to  race. 
The  true  name  for  Mohammedanism  is  Islam,  a  religion  of 
Semitic  origin;  the  Turks  are  of  a  different  descent.  There 
are  not  more  than  seven  millions  of  Turks  in  the  world,  while 
there  are  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  millions  of  Moham- 
medans. "  The  Turks  had  their  home  in  the  steppes  of 
Central  Asia,  and  are  of  the  same  race  as  the  Tartars  of  the 
Crimea,  the  Kisil-Bash  of  Armenia,  the  Kalmucks  of  the  Cau- 
casus, and  the  Turkomans  of  Khiva." 

The  Turkish  power  originated  in  a  band  of  Turkish  slaves, 
made  the  bodyguard  of  a  Caliph  of  Bagdad.  Soon  they  became 
masters.  A  hundred  years  afterward  they  embraced  Moham- 
medanism. Their  Sultan — which  name  really  means  ruler — 
they  called  "  Protector  of  the  Father  of  the  Faithful."  In  1072 
the  Sultan,  Alp  Arslan,  defeated  the  Byzantine  Emperor,  and 
ruled  all  Asia  Minor.  I  quote  the  most  condensed  statement 
of  their  history:  "To  suppose  that  such  an  empire  as  that  of 
the  Turks  could  have  been  founded  and  maintained  by  simple 
force,  under  such  strangely  exceptional  circumstances,  is  to 
contradict  the  plainest  facts  of  human  nature.  They  ruled 
their  empire  with  a  moderation  and  wisdom  long  unknown  in 
western  Asia,  and  they  treated  those  of  other  creeds  with  a 
clemency  which  contrasted  favorably  with  the  Christian 
nations  of  Europe  in  that  age." 

Their  recent  history  is  known  to  students.  At  present  those 
of  Turkish  blood  are  a  small  minority  in  the  Turkish  empire. 
A  particular  aspect  is  common  to  them;— dreamy,  serious, 
self-contained,  grave;  a  countenance  that  does  not  promptly 
respond,  and  kindles  no  enthusiasm.  Ideal  descriptions  of 
them  have  been  given  which  would  lead  one  to  suppose  that  they 
had  no  thirst  for  knowledge,  desire  for  gain,  or  wish  to  travel; 
no  love,  and  no  ambition.  Yet  he  who  sees  them  transacting 
business  will  observe  indications  of  interest,  and  one  who 
watches  closely  will  find  evidences  of  all  the  passions  of  human 
nature.  Indolence,  consciousness  of  superiority,  belief  in 
destiny,  low  views  of  women,  and  in  the  case  of  the  more 


560  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

bigoted  continual  doubt  and  suspicion  of  all  other  races,  are 
marked  traits. 

All  that  I  could  gather  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
name  of  Turk,  like  that  of  Jew,  has  more  odium  to  carry  than 
it  deserves.  Hospitality  is  universal,  their  system  of  etiquette 
elaborately  designed  to  make  guests  comfortable,  and  a  larger 
proportion  of  them  than  of  oriental  Christians  are  true  to 
their  religious  views.  Protestants  in  Turkey  receive  better 
treatment  than  they  would  if  Russia  were  in  command  of  the 
country. 

The  Turks  are  not  without  wit.  One  specimen  which  I 
heard  was  this:  "Said  a  dervish  to  a  camel:  'What  makes 
your  lip  so  crooked?'  to  which  the  camel  replied:  'What 
is  there  straight  about  me  that  you  should  take  exception  to 
my  lip? ' ' 

Another  was  a  story  of  a  man  who  called  upon  a  Turk  to 
borrow  his  donkey.  The  owner  declared  that  he  was  not  at 
home.  While  the  conversation  was  progressing  the  donkey 
from  within  brayed.  Said  the  applicant:  "There,  he  is 
here.  Let  me  have  him."  Said  the  Turk:  "I  will  lend 
no  man  anything  who  will  believe  a  donkey's  voice  against 
mine." 

The  bronze  Column  of  the  Three  Serpents,  about  fifteen 
feet  high,  with  the  tails  of  the  serpents  downward  and  the 
bodies  twisted  spirally  as  far  as  the  necks,  is  a  curiosity. 
The  heads  of  these  serpents  formerly  spread  outward-  and 
supported  the  golden  tripod  of  the  priest  of  Apollo  at  Delphi. 

An  obelisk  of  Egyptian  granite,  fifty  feet  high,  stands  in 
the  center  of  the  hippodrome.  Constantine  was  obliged  to 
leave  the  hippodrome  unfinished  on  receiving  information  that 
the  Gauls  threatened  to  attack  Rome. 

Another  column,  nearly  one  hundred  feet  in  height,  formed 
of  pieces  of  porphyry,  joined  together  with  copper  rings,  is 
called  the  Burnt  Column,  on  account  of  the  blackness  resulting 
from  fires  to  which  the  city  has  been  exposed.  Once  it  was 
surmounted  by  a  statue  of  Apollo,  the  work  of  Phidias. 

Seven  Towers,  which  stand  at  the  southwest  angle  of  Con- 
stantinople, where  the  walls  join  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  remind 
one  of  the  Tower  of  London.  The  Janizaries  used  this  as  a 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  561 

prison  for  the  Sultans  whom  they  had  dethroned,  or  assas- 
sinated them  there.  No  less  than  seven  Sultans  have  been 
put  to  death  in  that  way.  In  this  place,  in  old  times,  when- 
ever men  were  thus  killed,  their  heads  were  hung  from  the 
battlements. 

The  city  abounds  in  fountains,  carved  with  representations 
of  vases  filled  with  flowers  and  artistic  arrangements  of  fruit. 
Some  are  very  large,  culminating  in  a  series  of  domes.  In 
the  beautiful  suburbs  of  Constantinople  are  the  Sweet  Waters 
of  Asia  and  the  Sweet  Waters  of  Europe:  these  are  the  parks 
to  which  multitudes  go.  There  are  fine  carriage  roads,  and  to 
the  Sweet  Waters  of  Asia  the  drive  is  six  miles. 

Slavery  still  exists,  but  the  slave  market  described  by  trav- 
elers of  a  few  years  ago  is  abolished.  The  natives  of  Georgia 
and  Circassia  are  still  brought  to  Constantinople.  These  are 
white  slaves:  I  saw  two  supposed  to  have  recently  arrived. 
The  Circassian  women  who  come  to  Constantinople  from 
homes  of  poverty  and  hardship,  on  their  arrival  are  not  attract- 
ive in  appearance;  but  after  being  subjected  to  a  daily  Turk- 
ish bath,  being  protected  from  the  sun,  and  having  the  benefit 
of  wholesome  food,  they  become  really  beautiful  in  appearance. 
Turkish  wives  are  not  kept  in  a  state  of  slavery.  Those  who 
have  opportunity  to  know  say  that  they  have  more  liberty  than 
European  women,  being  allowed  to  roam  at  will  through  the 
bazaars  and  to  drive  in  disguise  through  the  streets.  The  wives 
of  men  of  rank  are  always  accompanied  by  eunuchs,  but  others 
are  unattended;  it  was  a  surprise  to  me  to  see  them  going 
about  the  streets  with  apparent  freedom. 

The  guests  of  wealthy  Turks  are  treated  with  hospital- 
ity, and  all  the  finery  belonging  to  the  women  is  displayed. 
Ladies  only  can  obtain  admittance  to  the  harems,  and  one 
has  written  an  account  of  what  she  saw.  Speaking  of  the 
clothes,  she  says:  "The  visitor  must  express  admiration,  but 
not  astonishment;  for  in  the  latter  case  she  would  then  be 
classed  as  poor,  having  no  fine  clothes  of  her  own,  and 
treated  during  the  re'st  of  her  visit  accordingly."  This  lady 
also  makes  an  observation  which  can  be  applied  in  other  parts 
of  the  world:  "Though  Turkish  ladies  will  pass  over  any  dis- 
play of  coarseness  or  rudeness,  they  are  quite  able  to  distin- 
29 


562  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

guish  between  any  practice  which  arises  from  a  difference  of 
manners  and  that  which  springs  from  a  want  of  breeding  in  a 
woman." 

In  the  streets  of  Constantinople  eunuchs  are  seen  riding 
with  the  wives  of  their  owners,  or  leading  children,  and  are  dis- 
tinguishable by  their  dress,  height,  beardless  faces,  and  effem- 
inate manners.  They  are  usually  very  black. 

Dogs  run  wild,  not  one  in  five  hundred  having  an  owner; 
they  have  a  perfect  police  system,  being  divided  into  districts, 
and  if  any  dog  crosses  the  boundary  line  by  the  length  of  his 
body  all  the  dogs  of  that  department  try  to  kill  him. 

Having  heard  much  of  the  censorship  of  the  press,  and  hav- 
ing had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  its  workings  in  Russia,  I  was 
interested  to  ascertain  to  what  supervision  literary  men  are 
obliged  to  submit  under  the  present  press  regulations  of  Tur- 
key. The  editor  of  a  paper  in  Constantinople  must  constantly 
have  on  hand  a  certain  amount  of  matter,  to  serve  as  harmless 
padding,  to  fill  the  spaces  left  blank  by  the  censor's*  pen. 
Sometimes  when  the  form  is  ready  for  the  press,  and  no  trouble 
is  anticipated,  unexpectedly  there  arrives  an  official  sheet  from 
the  censor,  without  whose  "imprimatur  "  nothing  can  be  pub- 
lished, and  the  luckless  editor  sees,  it  may  be,  from  a  column 
to  a  whole  page  crossed  out.  One  of  the  most  frequent  offend- 
ers used  to  fill  the  spaces  with  stars  and  daggers,  or  other 
printer's  missiles,  which  when  taken  with  the  context  would 
suggest  to  a  shrewd  reader  what  had  been  omitted.  A  law 
was  then  made  that  the  spaces  must  be  so  filled  as  to  give  no 
hint  of  what  had  been  left  out. 

Not  a  great  while  ago  an  editorial  acquaintance  of  our  in- 
formant found  that  the  pen  of  disapprobation  had  been  drawn 
through  a  strictly  scientific  article  upon  the  rainbow.  In 
utter  bewilderment  he  sought  an  interview  with  the  censor  and 
respectfully  asked  why  this  was  condemned.  He  was  told 
that  an  article  upon  the  rainbow  could  not  be  allowed  to  ap- 
pear on  account  of  a  stringent  order  received  at  that  office 
to  permit  the  publication  of  no  article  c&nnected  in  any  way 
whatever  with  the  subject  of  astronomy. 

In  a  recently  published  series  of  Scripture  biographies,  the 
statement  that  Ruth's  connection  with  the  family  of  Elimelech 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  563 

became  in  the  order  of  Providence  the  means  of  liberating  her 
from  the  heathen  traditions  of  her  ancestors  "  was  at  once  de- 
tected and  erased."  The  account  of  David  playing  the  harp 
before  King  Saul,  and  the  outburst  of  passion  indulged  in  by 
the  latter  on  that  occasion,  was  also  stricken  out,  making  a 
serious  break  in  the  narrative. 

The  most  remarkable  story  that  I  heard  in  Constantinople 
about  the  censorship  of  the  press  was  this,  which  was  vouched 
for  on  convincing  authority:  A  certain  Christian  banker  or 
stockbroker  of  Constantinople,  who  spent  some  years  in 
Paris,  and  understands  French  and  has  an  unusual  command  of 
the  Turkish  language,  occupied  his  leisure  hours  in  trans- 
lating into  Turkish  a  chapter  from  a  French  book  giving 
the  experiences  of  a  detective  in  working  up  noted  criminal 
cases. 

He  had  a  few  copies  printed  for  circulation  among  friends. 
A  few  days  after  an  officer  appeared  at  the  office  of  the  author 
with  a  copy  of  this  publication  and  asked  if  he  were  the 
writer.  He  admitted  the  fact,  adding  that  he  hoped  he  had 
done  nothing  wrong.  The  officer  asked  if  there  were  any 
more  of  the  story.  The  author  replied,  "Yes,"  that  there 
was  plenty  more  of  the  same  material.  "Very  well,"  re- 
plied the  officer,  "I  will  call  the  day  after  to-morrow,  and 
you  will  have  ready  for  me  in  manuscript  sufficient  to  make 
another  pamphlet  of  the  same  size  as  this  which  you  have 
printed."  The  frightened  author  protested  that  the  time  was 
too  short,  but  the  officer  gave  him  a  look  which  gave  him 
clearly  to  understand  that  refusal  meant  danger,  and  nam- 
ing again  the  hour  at  which  he  would  call  for  the  work,  took 
leave. 

The  literary  aspirant,  bewildered  and  anxious,  closed  his 
office,  went  home,  and  in  thirty-six  hours  of  almost  continu- 
ous labor  accomplished  the  task  assigned  and  returned  to  his 
office.  At  the  appointed  hour  the  mysterious  visitor  re- 
appeared and  demanded  the  manuscript.  With  a  trembling 
hand  it  was  passed  over  to  him.  He  glanced  at  it  a  moment, 
then  saying,  "Yes,  that  will  do,"  took  leave  without  offering 
any  explanation. 

After  two  days  he  again   appeared,  and  said:   "See  here. 


564  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

there  is  more  of  that  story."  The  writer  admitted  that  there 
was  more.  "  Very  well,"  was  the  reply;  "the  day  after  to- 
morrow, at  the  same  hour  as  before,  I  will  come  again.  Have 
ready  the  same  amount  of  manuscript;  "  and  waiting  for  no 
remonstrances  the  man  was  gone.  Again  the  broker  left 
business  and  going  home  applied  himself  bravely  to  the  task, 
secretly  regretting  that  he  had  ever  seen  the  book  from  which 
he  was  translating.  The  officer  appeared  at  the  appointed 
time,  and  receiving  the  roll  of  manuscript  went  away  without 
remark. 

After  two  or  three  days,  as  the  broker  was  busy  in  his  office, 
another  officer  made  his  appearance,  and  after  asking,  "Are 
you  Mr.  So-and-so?"  said:  "  You  are  wanted;  you  will  come 
immediately  with  me."  The  broker  turned  pale,  and  began 
to  beg  off;  but  the  officer  said:  "  You  have  nothing  to  fear, 
but  you  must  come  immediately  with  me."  >The  broker  fol- 
lowed the  officer  to  the  street  corner,  where  they  entered  a 
carriage  which  appeared  to  be  waiting  for  them,  and  they 
were  driven  to  the  palace,  received  with  honor  by  the  guards, 
and  shown  through  a  side  door  to  a  private  room.  There  the 
broker  was  left  alone  for  some  minutes,  when  a  high  official 
entered,  bearing  in  his  hand  the  two  rolls  of  manuscript  which 
had  been  prepared  under  such  pressing  orders. 

"  Are  these  your  writings?  " 

"  Yes,  your  excellency." 

"  How  much  more  is  there  of  that  book? " 

"It  is  a  large  volume,  your  excellency." 

"  Where  is  it?" 

"At  your  servant's  house,  your  excellency?" 

"You  will  go  along  with  my  officer  to  your  house  and  fetch 
that  book  here  to  me." 

The  man  accompanied  by  the  officer  went  home,  and  in  a 
short  time  returned  bearing  the  French  work  from  which 
the  extracts  had  been  made.  He  was  asked  to  point  out  how 
far  he  had  translated. 

"Very  well,"  said  the  high  official,  in  a  quiet  tone,  "you 
will  begin  there.  In  the  next  room  you  will  find  an  abundance 
of  writing  material;  also  a  French-Turkish  Dictionary.  You 
will  set  to  work  immediately  and  complete  the  volume  before 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  c6c 

leaving  the  place.  There  are  servants  in  attendance  who  have 
orders  to  supply  all  your  wants." 

"And  so,"  said  my  informant,  "at  the  time  1  received  the 
information  the  lucky  or  unlucky  fellow  was  still  hard  at  work 
upon  his  great  literary  undertaking.  No  restrictions  were 
placed  upon  his  communications  to  his  family,  but  no  respite 
from  work  was  allowed.  His  business,  of  course,  was  suffer- 
ing, but  the  possibilities  of  a  brilliant  literary  career  were 
opening  before  him." 

It  is  well  known  that  in  Turkey  a  hymnal  for  the  use  of 
Protestants  was  expurgated,  and  among  other  things  the 
piece,  "Hold  the  fort,  for  I  am  coming,"  was  stricken  out. 
On  literary  grounds  few  would  be  disposed  to  condemn  the 
censor  for  that,  but  the  reason  he  assigned  was  that  it  is 
adapted  to  stir  up  an  insurrection. 

The  story  of  the  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments,  except  in 
its  supernatural  elements,  has  been  paralleled  over  and  over 
again  in  the  history  of  Constantinople.  One  of  the  Sultans 
not  so  very  long  ago  was  in  the  habit  of  going  about  in  dis- 
guise like  the  famous  Caliph  Haroun-al-Raschid.  On  one  occa- 
sion, passing  a  place  where  a  man  was  excavating  a  cesspool, 
he  heard  him  say  to  himself  in  a  loud  voice:  "Persevere,  my 
soul,  or  I  will  plunge  thee  into  deeper  filth  than  this  !  " 

A  few  hours  afterward  an  officer  approached  the  unfortunate 
man,  and  said  to  him:  "Come  with  me."  Horror  took 
possession  of  the  laborer,  who,  when  found  by  the  officer,  was 
dressed  like  a  gentleman,  and  was  taking  his  ease  in  a  cafe. 
He  tried  to  ascertain  why  he  was  wanted;  for  some  went  into 
the  secret  place  under  the  control  of  the  government,  and 
never  came  out;  but  no  satisfactory  answer  could  be  given. 
After  being  detained  for  a  long  time  in  fear  and  suspense,  he 
was  at  last  brought  before  a  high  official,  and  examined. 
Finally,  he  was  taken  into  the  presence  of  the  Sultan,  who  was 
astonished  to  see  the  man,  who  had  been  covered  with  filth  a 
short  time  before,  so  well  dressed  and  intelligent  in  appear- 
ance. He  said  to  him:  "Are  you  the  man  whom  I  saw  at 
work  in  a  cesspool?  " 

"I  am." 

"  How  is  it  that  I  find  you  dressed  in  this  way?" 


566  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

"I  am  well  paid  for  my  work,  which  is  very  filthy  and  dis- 
agreeable, and  afterward  I  cleanse  myself  and  take  mine 
ease." 

"But  what  did  you  mean  when  you  said:  'Persevere,  my 
soul,  or  I  will  plunge  thee  into  deeper  filth  than  this?'  " 

The  man  trembled,  knowing  that  at  a  word  his  head  might 
be  smitten  from  his  shoulders. 

"  Speak!  "  said  the  Sultan.  He  answered  that  a  man  often 
says  in  anger  what  his  heart  will  not  acknowledge. 

"  But  what  dost  thou  mean?  " 

He  hesitated,  and  the  Sultan  reiterated  his  command: 
"  What  dost  thou  mean?  What  deeper  filth  is  there  than  that 
in  which  thou  dost  work?  " 

He  still  hesitated.  The  Sultan  assured  him  that  no  harm 
should  come  to  him,  and  the  man  then  replied: 

"My  work  is  disagreeable,  and  I  was  almost  tempted  to 
leave  it  when  I  thought,  'I  am  still  free;'  I  am  obliged  to 
flatter  no  one;  if  I  give  up  this  work  I  may  be  compelled  to 
take  service  under  the  government,  to  live  by  flattery  and  false- 
hood, and  so  I  said  to  my  soul,  '  Persevere,  or  I  will  plunge 
thee  into  deeper  filth  than  this.' ' 

The  Sultan,  according  to  the  story,  was  so  pleased  with  this 
answer  that  he  gave  him  a  handsome  present  and  allowed  him 
to  go  away  unmolested. 


FLIGHT  TO  PARIS  AND  NEW  YORK.  567 


CHAPTER    LXVII. 

Flight  through  Eastern   Roumelia,  Bulgaria,  Servia,  Hun- 
gary,   and    Vienna,    to   Paris    and    New   York. 

Adrianople— Philippopolis— Government  of  Eastern  Roumelia— Convention 
of  Protestant  Mission  Workers— Sofia— Bulgarian  Church— Picturesque  Cos- 
tumes—Buda-Pesth— The  National  Museum— Vienna— Emperor  Franz 
Josef — Paris  Exposition. 

SOON  after  leaving  Constantinople  we  entered  a  charming 
country  of  undulating  ridges,  already  covered  with  the  vege- 
tation of  early  spring.  Previous  to  the  treaty  of  Berlin,  East- 
ern Roumelia  was  under  the  direct  authority  of  the  Sultan  of 
Turkey.  Since  that  time  it  has  been  removed  therefrom,  and 
is  a  tributary  principality,  enjoying  the  right  of  self-govern- 
ment. It  is  formed  of  the  old  provinces  of  Slivno  and  Philip- 
popolis, with  part  of  that  of  Adrianople,  and  occupies  the 
upper  basin  of  the  Maritza  River,  which  is  navigable  as  far  as 
Philippopolis.  The  view  as  we  rode  along  was  wonderfully 
beautiful.  Villages  and  towns  are  far  apart,  and  one  might 
easily  have  fancied  himself  traveling  through  a  succession 
of  parks  connected  with  some  ancestral  estate,  his  only  per- 
plexity that  he  saw  no  house  or  castle,  and  few  persons. 
Sheep  and  cattle  were  grazing,  and  we  saw  some  fine  horses. 

Adrianople,  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  miles  to  the  north- 
west of  Constantinople,  was  the  first  important  city  through 
which  we  passed;  next  to  Constantinople  its  rank  was  the 
highest  in  European  Turkey.  For  nearly  a  hundred  years,  and 
until  they  gained  possession  of  Constantinople,  the  Turks 
made  it  the  seat  of  government. 

Higher  up,  on  both  banks  of  the  Maritza,  is  Philippopolis, 
now  the  capital.  This  region  was  part  of  ancient  Thrace,  and 
Philippopolis  was  founded  by  Philip,  the  father  of  Alexander 
the  Great.  Since  1360  the  Turks  have  held  it.  Immense 
masses  of  granite  surround  and  underlie  the  city;  at  the  base 


568  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

of  these  eminences  the  country  is  perfectly  level,  and  the 
ground  so  low  that  rice  is  cultivated  there.  The  independent 
existence  of  Eastern  Roumelia,  now  a  self-legislating  province, 
gives  it  much  more  interest  to  Western  travelers  than  it 
would  have  if  still  a  province  of  Turkey.  It  sustains  its  own 
army,  makes  its  own  laws,  and  has  a  Christian  Governor  Gen- 
eral, appointed  indeed  by  the  Sultan,  with  the  consent  of  the 
European  powers.  Notwithstanding  its  independence,  the 
Turkish  government  retains  the  right  of  occupying  certain 
strategical  positions  for  the  defense  of  its  empire. 

I  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  at  Sofia,  the  capital  of  Bulgaria, 
during  a  convention  of  all  the  native  workers  in  the  Protestant 
missions  for  the  whole  region  under  the  control  of  the  American 
Board,  and  to  meet  Dr.  Riggs,  that  venerable  missionary  whom 
Dr.  Long  assisted  in  translating  the  Bible  into  the  Bulgarian 
tongue.  The  church,  which  would  seat  five  or  six  hundred, 
was  crowded  with  an  enthusiastic  audience,  who  were  addressed 
by  energetic,  original,  and  thorough  speakers,  according  to 
the  testimony  of  the  missionaries  of  the  American  Board. 

The  Bulgarian  Church  is  a  very  low  form  of  Christianity. 
The  principles  of  the  Gospel  are  concealed  under  a  mask  of 
superstitions;  no  intelligible  instruction  is  given;  pomp,  cere- 
mony, priestcraft,  support  the  religion,  which  exerts  little  in- 
fluence over  the  daily  lives  of  the  people,  and  can  afford  little 
or  no  comfort  in  their  experiences  of  privation  and  toil. 

Were  it  not  for  the  palace,  one  or  two  elaborate  hotels  of 
an  Eastern  style,  and  the  foreign  names  on  the  signs,  it  would 
be  easy  to  mistake  the  place  for  an  American  prairie  town 
already  endeavoring  to  put  on  the  airs  of  a  city.  In  traveling 
through  the  country  I  was  struck  with  its  fertility,  with  the 
number  of  rivers  which  flow  to  the  Danube,  and  with  the  herds 
of  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep.  The  general  aspect,  however,  is 
not  one  of  prosperity,  and  a  primitive  scene  was  that  of  buf- 
faloes drawing  carts.  Many  of  the  Bulgarians  are  striking- 
looking  men. 

After  leaving  Sofia  we  rode  for  hours  in  full  view  of  the 
Balkans,  and  we  traversed  Servia,  which  is  about  as  large  as 
Switzerland,  and  lies  between  the  western  Balkan  and  the 
Illyrian  Mountains.  For  many  a  long  year  these  brave 


FLIGHT  TO  PARIS  AND  NEW  YORK.  571 

mountaineers  fought  for  the  right  of  self-government,  and 
ire  worthy  successors  of  the  Servian  monarchy  which  after 
the  fourteenth  century  fell  before  the  Turks.  In  1829  it 
gained  the  right  of  self-government,  but  was  nominally  sub- 
ject to  Constantinople  until  1877,  when  its  freedom  was  con- 
firmed by  the  Treaty  of  Berlin. 

Mountains,  hills,  and  forests  were  interspersed  with  fields 
surrounded  by  hedges  and  meadows.  Hogs  are  the  most 
valuable  product  of  the  country.  The  landed  nobles  of 
Servia  are  great  pig-dealers,  and  it  may  be  said  of  much  of 
the  region,  as  it  was  of  Cincinnati  some  years  ago,  that  the 
aristocrats  are  those  whose  fathers  packed  pork  for  a  living, 
and  the  democrats  are  those  who  pack  it  themselves. 

The  people  so  hate  the  Turks  that  their  best  wine  is  called 
"Turks'  Blood."  A  recent  traveler  says  that  whenever  a 
bottle  of  it  is  opened  the  first  who  tastes  it  affects  surprise  and 
asks,  "What  is  this?"  A  second,  having  tasted,  replies, 
solemnly,  "Turks'  Blood."  Whereupon  the  first  rejoins, 
"  Then  let  it  flow  freely." 

The  villages  are  straggling;  fifty  or  sixty  houses  "  are 
spread  over  a  space  as  large  as  that  occupied  by  Vienna." 
We  passed  through  the  capital,  Belgrade,  situated  at  the  union 
of  the  Danube  and  the  Save,  in  the  midst  of  grand  scenery. 
The  costumes  of  the  men  and  women  were  picturesque. 
Towle's  description  in  his  little  book,  The  Principalities  of  the 
Danube,  is  literally  correct:  "  The  men  wear  drab-colored  short 
jackets  lined  with  red,  and  caps  and  sashes  of  red,  and  their 
belts  are  provided  with  pistols  and  poniards.  Their  legs  are 
covered  with  big  trousers  to  the  knee,  below  which  point  they 
fit  close  to  the  calves  and  ankles. "  The  women  affect  bright 
colors;  their  dresses  are  trimmed  with  embroidery;  wide 
sashes  are  worn  with  long  fringed  ends,  and  on  their  heads  are 
red  leather  caps  wrought  in  silver  and  gold  lace;  every  woman 
wears  gold  earrings. 

Buda-Pesth,  the  capital  of  Hungary,  is  one  of  the  handsomest 
cities  in  Europe.  It  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Danube;  and  has 
a  population  of  above  four  hundred  thousand,  being  the  second 
in  numbers  in  the  Austrian  empire.  Buda  is  upon  the  Dan- 
ube side  of  a  range  of  hills,  and  above  it  is  an  imposing 


572  TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 

castle.  Pesth  is  on  the  other  side.  The  hills  are  covered 
with  vineyards  wherein  grow  the  grapes  which  make  the 
famous  Tokay  wine.  The  city  is  full  of  monuments  and 
abounds  in  churches;  among  its  beautiful  features  are  the 
bridges  which  connect  Buda  with  Pesth.  Great  use  is  made 
of  Turkish  baths,  and  also  of  hot  mineral  baths,  some  of 
which  date  from  the  time  of  the  Romans. 

There  are  numerous  art  galleries  in  the  city,  which  already 
considers  itself  a  rival  of  Vienna,  and  in  them  I  saw  the  finest 
collection  of  the  Spanish  masters  outside  of  Spain. 

The  National  Museum  contains  many  curiosities,  among 
them  a  piano  made  by  Broadwood  and  given  to  Beethoven; 
by  him  it  was  some  years  afterward  given  to  Liszt,  and  by  him 
to  the  museum.  Striking  a  few  chords  I  evoked  sounds  of 
peculiar  sweetness,  but  of  less  depth  and  brilliancy  of  tone 
than  is  expected  from  the  instruments  of  famous  makers  of 
the  present  day. 

One  of  the  curiosities  is  Luther's  will,  which  has  been  de- 
clared authentic  by  a  committee  of  experts. 

Another  was  a  note  signed  by  Louis  Kossuth,  the  style  of 
which  was  imitated  in  the  Confederate  notes  of  a  dozen  years 
later. 

$100.  No.  A.  Hungarian  Fund. 

This  will  entitle  the  holder  to  One  Hundred  Dollars  at  the  rate  of  four  per 
cent  per  annum  from  this  date,  the  principal  payment  in  ten  equal  annual  in- 
stallments from  the  date  of  the  establishment  in  fact  of  the  Independent 
Hungarian  Government,  and  the  interest  thereon  payable  half-yearly  from  the 
last  above  date  and  at  the  National  Treasury  of  such  Government,  or  at 
either  of  its  authorized  agencies  in  London  or  New  York.  L.  KOSSUTH. 

Dated  at  New  York,  July  I,  1852. 

In  the  very  year  and  month  of  the  date  of  that  note,  with  a 
crowd  of  other  boys,  I  followed  the  Hungarian  patriot  about 
the  streets  of  an  American  city,  not  fully  understanding  his 
aims,  but  perceiving,  when  he  spoke,  the  peculiar  pathos  and 
power  which  made  him  so  famous. 

I  inquired  of  various  officials  in  the  museum  and  elsewhere 
as  to  his  standing  with  the  Hungarian  people.  He  was  consid- 
ered to  be  patriotic,  courageous,  disinterested,  and  eloquent, 
but  visionary,  and  in  his  old  age  peevish  and  incapable  of  adapt- 


FLIGHT  TO  PARIS  AND  NEW  YORK.  573 

ing  himself  to  what  has  proved  a  satisfactory  adjustment  of  the 
two  peoples  which  now  constitute  the  great  empire  of  Austria- 
Hungary — two  distinct  kingdoms  united  under  a  common 
ruler  of  the  German  House  of  Hapsburg,  and  maintaining  a 
common  policy  in  military  and  diplomatic  affairs. 

From  Buda-Pesth  we  went  direct  to  Vienna,  where  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  Emperor  of  Austria  when  he  ap- 
peared for  the  first  time  in  public  after  the  horrible  suicide  of 
his  son,  the  Archduke,  to  review  the  Austrian  troops.  For 
three  hours  1  saw  the  flower  of  the  Austrian  infantry  and 
cavalry  perform  its  evolutions. 

The  Emperor  Franz  Josef,  with  his  staff,  passed  within  a  few 
feet,  giving  me  the  opportunity  of  looking  upon  his  face. 
The  traces  of  anxiety,  disease,  and  sorrow  were  plainly  visible. 
When  we  look  upon  kings  on  state  occasions,  we  do  not  have 
a  fair  representation  of  their  natural  expression;  for  self-con- 
sciousness and  an  artificial  gravity  rob  the  eyes  and  the  other 
features  of  their  light  and  animation.  Even  American  Presi- 
dents and  their  wives,  with  the  limited  amount  of  display  in 
which  they  participate,  show  the  effects  of  the  situation,  and 
either  a  stolid  aspect  or  a  meaningless  smile  takes  the  place  of 
the  changing  lights  and  shadows  which  in  ordinary  social  in- 
tercourse are  perpetually  charming. 

Having  arranged  to  sail  for  New  York  on  the  tenth  of  May, 
on  this  occasion  I  made  little  stay  in  Vienna,  but  hastened  to 
Paris,  arriving  on  the  day  of  the  opening  of  the  Exposition,  in 
which  we  spent  three  days  delightfully. 

With  my  face  once  more  turned  toward  home  the  voyage 
seemed  long,  although  La  Champagne  made  a  shorter  trip  than 
usual  at  the  season;  and  after  so  many  months  of  wandering 
I  contentedly  took  my  place  once  more  with  those  who  sing: 

"  Stay,  stay  at  home,  my  heart,  and  rest; 
Home-keeping  hearts  are  happiest." 


INDEX. 


Aaron,  work  of  a  grandson  of,  439. 

Abana  River,  480. 

Abbas,  Dr.,  superintendent    of   the   lunatic 

asylum  of  Egypt,  216-218. 
Abbas,  Muley,  lamentations  of,  40. 
Abdallah,  a  performing  negro,  301. 
Abd-el-Kader,  courage  of,  488  ;  confinement 

in  Damascus,  491. 
Abd-er-Rahman  1,  builds  mosque  at  Cordova, 

39- 

Abdul  Aziz,  vandalism  of,  539  ;  change  of  his 
name,  558. 

Abdul  Hatnid  II,  558. 

Abel,  traditional  scene  of  the  murder  of,  480. 

Abinadab,  the  ark  of  the  covenant  in  the 
house  of,  350. 

Ablution,  the  fountain  of,  543. 

Abou-Gosch,  tomb  of,  350 ;  village  of,  350. 

Abousir,  a  cemetery  of  Memphis,  247. 

Abraham,  our  dragoman,  257,  266,  268,  278  ; 
story  of  a  crocodile,  270. 

Abraham,  an  obelisk  older  than,  210 ;  God's 
covenant  with,  241  ;  the  Koran  s  record 
of,  323  ;  supposed  scene  of  his  attempted 
sacrifice  of  Isaac,  377,  390,  436 ;  alleged 
praying-spot  of,  381  ;  supposed  scene  of 
sacrifices  by,  381  ;  at  Bethel,  430 ;  builds 
an  altar  at  Shechem,  435  ;  well-digging 
customs  of,  435  ;  scene  of  his  encounter 
with  Melchizedek,  436  ;  at  Shechem,  438  ; 
Damascus  in  the  time  of,  480  ;  rescues  Lot 
from  the  kings,  489  ;  scene  of  the  revela- 
tion to,  of  the  unity  of  God,  490. 

Absalom,  tomb  of,  362. 

Abuna,  election  of  an,  421. 

Abundance,  the  horn  of,  536. 

Abyla,  81,  109. 

Abyssinia,  source  of  the  Blue  Nile  in,  238; 
rainfall  in,  239 ;  trade  with  Asyoot,  263 ; 
war  with  Italy,  421. 

Abyssinian  Church,  at  Jerusalem,  420 ;  pe- 
culiarities of,  420,  421. 

Abyssinians,  the  civilization  of  the,  420  ;  de- 
clared a  barbarous  people,  421. 

Acacia-trees,  in  Egypt,  261,  266 ;  source  of 
gum-arabic,  263. 

Academy,  the,  Athens,  523. 

Academy  of  Science,  at  Athens,  522. 

Acoustics,  of  Spanish  cathedrals,  35,  58. 

Acre,  442  ;  Lynch's  expedition  from,  406. 

Aero-Corinth,  527,  528. 

Acropolis,  of  Athens,  515,  516,  520,  521,  528; 
of  Corinth,  527,  528;  of  Smyrna,  505,  508. 

"  Acts,"  account  of  the  Ascension  in,  369  ; 
record  of  St.  Paul's  travels,  498,  512.  513  ; 
an  authority  on  Ephesus,  510;  record  of 
Paul's  sermon,  521. 

Ada  Dodge  Memorial  Hall,  Beirut,  495. 

Adam,  chapel  and  tomb  of,  394  ;  tradition  of 
his  restoration  to  life,  394. 

Adam  and  Eve  in  the  Garden,  169. 

Adelaide,  Queen,  lays  foundation  of  light- 
house at  Gibraltar,  in. 

Adirondacks,  the,  experiences  in,  compared 
with  Palestine,  432 ;  head  waters  of  the 
Hudson  in,  474. 


Adoration,  the  scene  of  the,  399. 

A  dour.  River,  9. 

Adrianople,  567. 

Adriatic,  the,  capture  of  coast  of,  by  Venice, 
'5?  '  ,Vueen  °*» l66  !  v'ew  ofi  from  Campa- 
nile, Venice,  166  ;  a  glimpse  of,  205. 

/Egaleos,  Mount,  524. 

yEgean  Sea,  the,  499  ;  scenery  of,  503. 

ytgina,  a  distant  view  of,  515,  528  ;  rival  of 
Corinth,  527. 

AJneid,  composition  of  the,  192. 

yEschylus,  the  works  of,  520. 

y£sop,  figure  of,  23. 

JEtolia,  distant  view  of,  ^28. 

Africa,  Spain  the  twin  sister  of,  10  ;  Saracen 
conquest  of  north,  ^  ;  the  bull-ring  un- 
known in,  77  ;  first  glimpses  of,  81,  82  ;  the 
eye  of,  100  ;  relations  of  Gibraltar  to.  104  ; 
British  area  and  population,  115  ;  the  Virgin 
Mary  in,  126 ;  bearded  priests  in,  129 ; 
fresco  of,  at  Milan,  154  ;  rainfall  in  Cen- 
tral, 239;  curious  belief  about  birds  in, 
251 ;  to  Asia  from,  338. 

"  Afrique,"  the  steamer,  119. 

Age,  of  Egyptian  women,  299,  300. 

Agesilaus,  king  of  Sparta,  509,  510. 

Agility,  feats  of  strength  and,  236,329. 

Agora,  the  Great,  510. 

Agriculture,  in  Morocco,  07  ;  importance  of, 
146 ;  effect  of  construction  of  Suez  Canal 
on,  3^7  ;  taught  in  Palestine,  345. 

Ague,  in  Cyprus,  498. 

Ahab,  the  field  wrested  from  Naboth  by,  443. 

Ahhotpou,  Queen,  jewelry  of,  321. 

Ahijah,  residence  of,  435. 

Ai,  the  Jewish  capture  of,  430. 

Ain-et-Tin,  471. 

Air,  buying  the.  557. 

Ais-saoui.  religious  ceremonies  of,  195. 

Ajalon,  the  moon's  stand  in,  348,  349. 

Akra,  dividing  line  between  Jerusalem  and 
Moriah  and,  356. 

Aksa,  the  Mosque  E1-,  381. 

Alabaster  box  of  ointment,  scene  of  the,  414. 

Alaka,  the  office  of,  421. 

Aiameda,  the,  106,  107  ;  fortifying,  115. 

Albanians,  in  Smyrna,  506;  costume  of,  528, 
529  ;  at  Robert  College,  555. 

Alcazar,  the,  at  Toledo,  34,  36  ;  at  Seville,  49. 

Alcibiades,  509. 

Alcohol,  as  a  factor  of  insanity  in  Egypt, 
217.  See  also  DRUNKENNESS;  INTEMPER- 
ANCE. 

Alcott  botanical  collection,  Beirut,  495. 

Aleppo,  captured  by  Saladin,  487. 

Alexander,  Dr.,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  421. 

Alexander,  patriarch  uf  Alexandria,  dispute 
with  Arius,  207. 

Alexander  the  Great,  statue  in  Naples,  i£ 


restoration  of  Smyrna  by,  507  ;  connection 
with  history  of  Ephesus,  509  ;  visit  to  Di- 
ogenes, 527 ;  crossing  of  the  Hellespont, 
532 ;  the  father  of,  567. 


576 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Alexandria.  207-209  ;  Napoleon's  march  on, 
206;  decline  and  growth  of,  207  ;  the  mak- 
ing of  the  Septuagint  in,  207  ;  position  in 
intellectual  growth  and  Christianity,  207 ; 
removal  of  Cleopatra's  Needles  to  and  from, 
208  ;  suburbs  of,  209 ;  Sphinxes  in,  248 ; 
Eutropius's  journey  to,  264;  complexion  of 
fellaheen  near,  287;  Presbyterian  mission 
at,  332 ;  rainfall  in,  336  ;  election  of  the 
hierarch  of  the  Abyssinian  Church  at,  421  ; 
Apollos  of,  512. 

Alfieri,  tomb  of.  170. 

Alfonso  VI,  grant  to  the  Moors,  35. 

Alfonso  VIII,  founder  of  convent  of  Las 
Huelgas,  14. 

Alfonso  X,  decree  regarding  the  Spanish 
language,  34. 

Alfonso  XII,  sepulcher  of,  34. 

Algeciras,  landing  of  Taric  at,  55,  81  ;  view 
of,  from  Gibraltar,  112. 

Algeria,  119-136;  French  conquest  of,  128, 
133  ;  power  of  Jews  in,  129.  See  also  AL- 
GIERS. 

Algerine  pirates,  127  ;  wealth  of,  350. 

Algiers,  beauty  of  journey  from  Oran  to,  120, 
121  ;  winter  residences  in,  121,  129,  130; 
archbishop  of,  126;  blackmails  the  whole 
civilized  world,  127;  the  Dey  of,  127,  128; 
slavery  abolished  in,  128  ;  bloodthirstiness 
in,  129  ;  likeness  of  houses  to  those  in  Pom- 
peii. 197,  198  :  flora,  346;  mosques,  540. 

Algum-trees,  Solomon's  purchase  of,  342. 

Alhambra,  situation,  hisiory,  and  description, 
50-57  ;  compared  with  the  Kremlin,  51  ; 
woman's  position  in,  55  ;  aspect  of,  58  ;  con- 
trast in  the,  539  ;  resemblance  to  the  Ser- 
aglio, 539- 

"  Ali  I'.aba  and  the  Forty  Thieves.  '  440. 

Aliweein  line  of  descent  from  Mohammed, 
98. 

Allah,  the  magic  name  of,  326. 

Allemand-Lavigerie,  Cardinal  C.  M.,  indul- 
gences granted  by,  126. 

Alligators,  in  Florida  and  Louisiana,  273. 

Almond  culture,  120. 

Alp  Arslan,  rise  of,  559. 

Alphonso.  sepulcher  of,  14. 

Alpine  Club  of  France,  128. 

Alps,  the,  view  from  Nice,  139  ;  cold  winds 
from,  146 ;  view  of,  from  Milan  cathe- 
dral, 153;  the  Simplon  route  over,  157; 
view  of,  from  Campanile,  Venice,  166  ;  Lib- 
yan Mountains  compared  with,  293  ;  Mount 
of  Olives  compared  with,  366  ;  prominence 
of  Mont  Blanc  among,  449. 

Alva,  Duke  of,  9. 

Amazons,  paintings  of,  in  Florence,  171. 

Ambition,  the  play  of  human,  557. 

Ambrose,  St.,  painting  of,  150;  tomb  of,  654. 

Ameni-Amenemha,  tomb  of,  252. 

Amenophis  I,  extends  boundaries  of  Egypt, 
276  ;  builds  temple  at  Karnak,  276  ;  coffin 
and  mummy  of,  320. 

Amenophis  III,  invades  the  Soudan,  276; 
growth  of  Thebes  under,  276 ;  statues  of, 
279,  294. 

Amen-ra,  statue  and  shrine  of,  284. 

Amer,  tomb  and  mosque  of,  214. 

America,  the  mother  of,  10 ;  Columbus's  dis- 
covery, 45 ;  antiquities,  45  ;  discovery  pre- 
dicted in  the  Scriptures,  46  ;  Spanish  pos- 
sessions, no;  fresco  of,  at  Milan,  154; 
greatness,  450. 

American,  privileges  of  an,  18. 


American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  the 
treasurer  of,  1 1  ;  schools  at  San  Sebastian, 
12  ;  agent  in  Constantinople,  265  ;  success 
among  Armenians,  549  ;  Dr.  Hamhn's  rela- 
tions with,  554  ;  convention  of  missions 
under,  at  Sofia,  568. 

American  coats  of  arms,  172. 

American  College  at  Beirut,  343. 

American  colony,  an  eccentric,  425. 

American  energy,  evidences  of,  557. 

American  Mission,  establishe_d  in  Syria,  495. 

Americans,  bad  example  of,  in  Spain,  79,  80 ; 
walking-powers,  in  ;  in  Smyrna,  506 ;  at 
Robert  College,  554. 

American  school,  Athens.  522. 

Amherst  College,  our  fellow-traveler  from, 265. 

"Among  the  Hills,"  467. 

Amorites,  the  conquest  by  Joshua,  348,  349  ; 
Jacob's  conquest  of,  435. 

Amwas,  supposed  site  of  Emmaus,  349. 

Ananias,  his  visit  to  Saul  of  Tarsus,  488. 

Anchorites,  in  the  Holy  Land,  413. 

Ancona,  202. 

Andalusia,  the  Tarshish  of  Scripture,  108. 

Androsphinx,  the,  232. 

Angelo,  Michael,  statue  at  Milan,  154. 

Angel  of  Death,  in  Morocco,  99. 

Angel  of  Rome,  the,  186. 

Angel's  Chapel,  the,  393. 

Angels,  house-moving,  203,  454;  Mohamme- 
dan belief  in,  323  ;  the  Bethel  ladder  of, 430. 

Animal-life  on  the  Dead  Sea,  409. 

Animals,  cruelty  to,  in  Spain,  74-80  ;  of  Gi- 
braltar, 108  ;  wild,  in  Atlas  Mountains,  133. 

Anklets,  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 

Anna,  mother  of  the  Virgin,  366.  See  also 
ST.  ANNE. 

Annunciation,  the.  Chapel  and  Church  of,  *t 
Nazareth,  454.  455. 

Anointment,  the  Stone  of,  390. 

Anthony,  St.,  Murillo's  painting  of,  46. 

Anti-Libanus  range,  the,  483. 

Anti-matrimony  colony  in  Jerusalem,  425. 

Anti-medicine  theory,  in  Jerusalem,  425. 

Antiquarians,  services  of,  511. 

Antiquities,  a  judge  of,  278 ;  demand  for,  in 
Egypt,  278  ;  a  collection  of  Egyptian,  300  ; 
a  United  States  consul's  trade  in,  300  ;  fame 
of  Smyrna  for,  509 ;  the  manufacture  of, 
516;  in  Athens,  522. 

"Antiquity  Smith,"  278. 

Antonio,  Castle  of,  Jerusalem,  385. 

Antony,  Mark,  177. 

Antony  and  Cleopatra,  Samian  residence  of, 
503.  See  also  CLEOPATRA. 

Apefles,  birthplace  of,  500,  509 ;  figure  of,  in 
Florence  cathedral,  170. 

Apennines,  the,  view  of,  from  Milan  cathe- 
dral, 153  ;  situation  of  Florence  near,  168. 

Apes,  of  the  Atlas  Mountains,  134  ;  Kaby- 
lean  theory  regarding,  134. 

Apis  Mausoleum,  discovery  of  the,  232. 

Apollo,  myth  concerning  the  formation  of 
Rhodes  by,  500  ;  alleged  birthplace  of,  509  ; 
worship  of,  in  Cqrinth,  528  ;  statue  at  Con- 
stantinople, 560 ;  tripod  of  the  priest  of,  at 
Delphi,  560. 

Apollos,  at  Ephesus,  512. 

Apostles'  Cavern,  the,  361. 

Apparition,  Chapel  of  the,  394. 

Appian  Way,  the,  181. 

Apples,  American,  107  ;  at  Jaffa,  344. 

Apricots,  at  Jaffa,  344. 

Aquarium,  the  Naples,  190. 


INDEX. 


577 


Aqueducts,  at  Cairo,  214  ;  ancient,  >n  Jerusa- 
lem, 362  ;  at  Athens,  516. 

Aquija,  at  Ephesus,  512. 

Arabia,  commerce  of,  through  Alexandria, 
207 ;  trade  with  Asyoot,  263 ;  horses  of, 
483. 

Arabian  desert,  the,  238,  302. 

Arabian  Empire,  Western  Caliphate  of,  39. 

Arabian  Mountains,  275,  276,  287,  294. 

Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments,  440,  565, 
566. 

Arabic  Antiquities,  Museum  of,  Cairo,  216. 

Arabic  language,  use  among  the  Copts,  332. 

Arabs,  conquest  of  Cordova,  39 ;  flight  from 
Seville,  43  ;  characteristics,  92 ;  how  they 
make  coffee,  92 ;  destroy  iron-mines  at 
Nemours,  119;  of  Algeria,  120;  importance 
of  the  beard  among,  129  ;  of  Numidia,  133  ; 
hostility  to  Kabyles,  133 ;  costume,  212 ; 
appreciation  of  manuscripts,  216 ;  use  of 
hasheesh,  218  ;  mercenary  character,  222 ; 
Connecticut  Yankee  versus,  278  ;  compared 
with  Nubians,  312  ;  conquest  of  Egypt,  330  ; 
compared  with  Copts,  331,  332  ;  claim  the 
site  of  the  house  of  Simon  the  tanner,  343  ; 
statements  concerning  the  Tower  of  Ram- 
leh,  347 ;  capture  of  Jerusalem,  355 ;  ma- 
rauding, in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  442 ; 
opinion  of  Damascus,  483 ;  outrages  in 
Damascus,  488 ;  attack  Constantinople, 

536. 

Aragon,  spread  of  kingdom  of,  55. 

Aral  Sea,  relative  saltness  of  the,  409. 

Ararat,  Mount,  549. 

Arcadia,  205. 

Arcadian  mountains,  the,  528. 

Archaeological  Society,  Museum  of,  at 
Athens,  522. 

Archaeologists,  249,  511. 

Architect,  fate  of  a  Christian,  122. 

Architects,  skill  of  Egyptian,  288. 

Architecture,  characteristics  of  Moorish,  51  ; 
a  confusion  of,  162  ;  influence  of  Florence 
on,  167  ;  effect  of  climate  on,  190 ;  Italy's 
eminence  in,  202  ;  Mohammedan,  213  ;  the 
most  ancient  monument  of  Christian,  399  ; 
renown  of  Ephesus  for,  509 ;  Doric,  520 ; 
Ionic,  520  ;  of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome, 


specimen  of  mosque,  550. 
"Architecture,"  quoted,  543. 
Arch  of  Hadrian,  519. 
Arch  of  Pilate,  the,  385. 
Arcon,  J.  C.  E.  le  M.  d',  inventor  of  floating 

batteries  at  Gibraltar,  no. 
Arctic  Circle,  beyond  the,  314,  350. 
Arctic  Ocean,  the,  113. 
Areopagus,  521,  522. 
Aretas,  488. 

Argolis,  the  mountains  of,  528. 
Argos,  plain  of,  528. 
Anmathea,  legend  regarding  Joseph  of,  144  ; 

supposed  site  of,  347. 
Aristides,  the  city  of,  523.*' 
Aristocracy   of   nobles   and   beggars,  10 ;    of 

beggars,  43  ;  what  constitutes  an,  571. 
Aristophanes,  the  works  of,  520. 
Aristotle,   geographical    knowledge    of,    45  ; 

figure  of,   in   Florence  cathedral,  170  ;  the 

city  of,  523. 

Arius,  dispute  with  Alexander,  207. 
Ark  of  bulrushes,  the,  241. 


Ark  of  the  Covenant,  the  Philistines'  return 
of  the,  350 ;  supposed  burial-place,  381 ; 
site  of  the  tent  of,  417  ;  dwelling-place  at 
Shiloh,  434  ;  stolen  by  Philistine*,  435. 

Arlanzon,  River,  13. 

Armageddon,  the  valley  of,  442. 

Armenia,  Saracen  conquest  of,  55  ;  the  Kisil- 
•  Hash  of,  559. 

Armenian  chapel  at  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  390. 

Armenian  Church,  miracles  in,  8  :  worship 
in  the  Angel's  Chapel,  394  ;  worship  in  the 
Chapel  ot  the  Sepulcher,  394;  convent  at 
Bethlehem,  398  :  patriarchs,  417,  419  ;  mon- 
astery in  Jerusalem,  419,  420 ;  services,  430  ; 
ritual  of  the,  549  ;  qualifications  of  priests, 
549,  550  ;  jealousy  of  Protestantism,  555. 

Armenians,  in  Smyrna,  506,  507  ;  commercial 
shrewdness  of,  529,  549  ;  in  Constantinople, 
547,  549  ;  success  of  American  Board 
among,  549  ;  at  Robert  College,  555. 

Arno  River,  168,  275. 

Arnott,  Miss,  mission  work  at  Jaffa,  343,  344. 

Arrows,  poisoned,  305. 

Art,  the  foundation  of,  146;  in  Milan,  149;  in 
Florence,  167  ;  intoxicated  with,  171  ;  facil- 
ities for  study  in  Florence,  173 ;  in  the 
Catacombs,  181,  182 ;  position  of  Naples 
in,  187,  191  ;  Italian  love  for,  200;  rise  and 
decay  of  Ejgyptian,  322  ;  in  Greece,  531 ; 
collection  of  Spanish  masters,  572. 

Art-criticism,  difficulties  of,  45. 

Artemisia,  509. 

Art-galleries,  in  Buda-Pesth,  572. 

Art  of  putting  things,  the,  208. 

Ascension,  supposed  site  of  the,  369  ;  Church 
of  the,  369. 

Ascension  Day,  observance  at  Venice,  158. 

Asenath,  wife  of  Joseph,  219. 

Ashdod,  view  of,  from  the  Tower  of  Ramleh, 

347- 

Ashkenazim,  the  sect  of  the,  465. 

Ashraf,  the  class,  94. 

Asia,  Spain  the  offspring  of.  10  ;  rise  of  Mo- 
hammedan power  in,  55  ;  British  area  and 
population,  115;  fresco  of,  at  Milan,  154; 
campaigns  of  Sethi  I  in  western,  280 ;  the 
glory  of  Egypt  in,  319  ;  from  Africa  to, 
338  ;  the  most  wearisome  day's  journey  in, 
479  ;  a  temporary  farewell  to  the  mainland 
of,  497  ;  farewell  to,  515  ;  castle  of,  532  ; 
boundary  between  Europe  and,  535  ;  origin 
of  the  Turks  in.  559  ;  the  Sweet  Waters  of, 
561. 

Asia  Minor,  Saracen  ravages  in,  55  ;  a  famous 
city  of,  501  ;  descendants  of  ancient  inhab- 
itants of,  506 ;  the  most  important  city  of, 
509  ;  power  of  Alp  Arslan  in,  559. 

Asioot,  Asiut.     See  ASYOOT. 

Askalon,  view  of,  from  Tower  of   Ramleh, 

Ass,  a  wonderful,  202. 
Assassin,"  origin  of  the  word.  218. 


mention  of,  304  ;  population,  trade,  etc.,  304, 
305  ;  English  garrison,  305  ;  traces  of  Chris- 
tian convents  at.  305 ;  beautiful  palm- 
tree,  313,  314  ;  Presbyterian  mission,  332. 

Assyrians,  at  Robert  College,  555. 

Astronomy,  in  Egypt,  207,  240 ;  how  viewed 
in  Turkey,  562. 

Asturias,  kingdom  of,  55. 

Asylum  of  the  Muses  and  Graces,  507. 


578 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Asyoot,  259-265;  the  pottery  of,  263;  revisited, 
318;  Presbyterian  mission,  332 ;  Protestant 
school,  333. 

Atalye,  o. 

Athanasius,  St.,  painting  of,  188  ;  life  and 
death  at  Alexandria,  207. 

Atheism,  in  Constantinople,  555. 

Athenians,  the  place  of  meeting  of  the,  522; 
strife  for  Byzantium,  536. 

Athens,  the  Pyramids  older  than,  228 ; 
residence  of  Dr.  Schliemann  at,  334  ;  dif- 
ference between  Jerusalem  and,  355;  posses- 
sion of  Samos  by,  503  ;  population  con- 
trasted with  that  of  Smyrna,  506  ;  Ephesus 
compared  with,  509;  voyage  to,  515;  rail- 
way from  the  Piraeus  to,  515  ;  first  view  of, 
515,  516;  growth,  516;  hotels,  516;  the 
seat  of  government  at,  516  ;  the  modern 
city,  516  ;  population,  516  ;  mission  at,  519  ; 
religious  services  at,  519  ;  two  cities  of,  519  ; 
expulsion  of  Paul  from,  521 ;  Paul  in,  521, 
522 ;  public  institutions,  522 ;  route  to 
Corinth  from,  524;  distant  view  of,  528  ;  con- 
tributions to  Santa  Sophia,  540. 

Athletes,  sufferings  of,  on  the  Nile,  335. 

Athos,  Mount,  531,  532. 

Atlas  Mountains,  independent  tribes  of,  94, 
97  ;  situation,  scenery,  etc.,  120,  130-136  ; 
compared  with  those  of  Switzerland,  134  ; 
wild  animals  in,  135. 

At-Meidan,  the  scene  of  the  massacre  of  the 
Janizaries,  558. 

Atmosphere,  preservative  action  of  a  dry,  231. 

Attar  of  roses,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

Attica,  524. 

Attic  Peninsula,  a  distant  view  of  the,  528. 

Attic  Plain,  the,  515,  524. 

Auctioneers,  in  Cairo,  211. 

Augustus,  the  Magnificent,  177 ;  statue  of. 
177;  liking  for  Naples,  187;  Vesuvius  in 
the  timeoffigs  ;  his  name  in  the  Temple  of 
Denderah,  269  ;  contribution  to  the  Temple 
of  Isis,  309 ;  temple  of,  at  Banias,  475  ; 
connection  with  history  of  Ephesus,  509 ; 
restoration  of  the  Temple  of  Diana,  511. 

Australasia,  British  area  and  population,  115. 

Australia,  leprosy  in,  426. 

Austria,  claim  on  throne  of  Spain,  up;  Em- 
peror of,  in  Cairo,  215;  interest  in  Suez 
Canal,  336  ;  the  Emperor  in  Vienna,  573. 

Austria-Hungary,  constitution  of,  573. 

Austrians,  at  Robert  College,  555. 

Autos-da-fe,  the,  20  ;  painting  of  an,  23. 

Autographs,  a  large  collection  of,  300. 

Aventine  Hill,  177. 

Avenue  of  Sphinxes,  279,  280,  319. 

Avon,  Rogers  on  the,  503. 

Ayasoolook,  509. 

Azov,  Sea  of,  relative  freshness  of,  409. 

Baal,  the  worship  of,  474. 

Baalbec,  492  ;  contributions  to  Santa  Sophia, 

54°- 

Baal-Gad,  474. 
BaalrHermon,  474. 
Babe,  the  village  of  the,  548. 
Babel,  a  modern,  504,  506,  547. 
Babel  Moolook,  288-292. 
Bab-el-Oued,  128. 
Babi  Humaioom,  the,  540. 
Bab-kisan,  48_8. 
Bacchus,  ancient   temple  of,  at   Milan,  154  ; 

paintings  of,  in   Florence,  171  ;  the  theater 

of,  520. 


a  history  of  Palestine,  341  ;  on  Mohamme- 
dan fatalism,  484. 

Bagdad,    splendors   of,   39,  55  ;  Indian  com- 
merce through,  158  ;  rise  of  Turkish 


power 


.  559- 


.        - 

Bagdadites,  Riwak  of  the,  325. 

Bainbridge,  Captain,  action  in  Algiers,  128. 

Baldness,  sedentary  habits  and,  165. 

Balkan  mountains,  the,  568. 

Balm  of  Gilead,  presented  by  Queen  of  Sheba 
to  Solomon,  219. 

Baltic  Sea,  General  Grant  on  the,  236  ;  rela- 
tive freshness  of,  409. 

Bancroft,  Dr.  C.  F.  P.,  joins  the  party  at 
Naples,  205;  our  fellow-traveler,  318,  334  ; 
his  horse,  305  ;  washes  his  feet  in  tne  Dead 
Sea,  409  ;  visits  the  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem, 
419  ;  visits  Abyssinian  monastery  at  Jeru- 
salem, 420  ;  on  the  march,  429  ;  discussion 
with,  concerning  age  of  Arab  youth.  444, 
445;  a  valuable  neighbor,  516  ;  holds  ser- 
vice on  Mars'  Hill,  521. 

Banias,  road  from  Ain-et-Tin  to,  471  ;  ruins 
at,  473  ;  ruins  of  temple  of  Pan  near,  473  ; 
antiquity,  473  ;  camp  at,  473  ;  vicissitudes 
of,  474  ;  Titus's  celebration  of  his  victories 
at,  474;  Joshua's  connection  with  the  region, 
474  ;  importance  during  the  Crusades,  474  ; 
Biblical  references  to,  475  ;  supposed  scene 
of  the  Transfiguration,  475,  476  ;  Josephus's 
work  at,  476  ;  in  time  of  Joshua,  476. 

Baptists,  in  Italy,  204. 
|  Barabras,  in  Assouan,  305. 

Barada  River,  the,  491. 

Barak,  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  in  the  time  of, 
442;  scene  of  battle  with  Sisera,  445,  446,  449. 

Barbary,  the  beef-supply  of  Gibraltar,  107. 

Barbary  apes,  108. 

Barbers,  in  Egypt,  210  ;  of  Damascus,  484. 

Barca,  the,  of  Venice,  161. 

Barcelona,  theater  in,  74  ;  bull-ring,  74. 

Barclay,  Bishop,  discovers  Jacob's  Well,  435. 

Barnabas,  in  Cyprus,  498. 

Bartholomew,  St.,  statue  of,  150. 

Bartolommeo,  Fra,  portrait  of  Savonarola,i7O. 

Baseball  at  the  Pyramids,  228. 

Bashan,  oaks  of,  449. 

Basque  Provinces,  10. 

Basques,  originate  the  bayonet,  9  ;  the  ancient 
race  of,  12  ;  a  game  of  the,  12. 

Bas-reliefs,  at  Karnak,  280. 

Bassano,  paintings  at  Madrid,  23. 

Baths,  at  Pompeii,  198  ;  hot,  at  Tiberias,  461  ; 
in  Buda-Pesth,  572. 

Battering-rams,  used  against  Stamboul,  539. 

Baudin/Alphonse,  shooting  of,  2,  138. 

Bavar,  Rodri^o  Ruy  Diaz  de,  14. 

Bayonet,  origin  of  the,  9. 

Bayonne,  9. 

Bazaars,  of  Asyoot,  263  ;  of  Constantinople, 
561  ;  of  Damascus,  483  ;  at  Keneh,  266. 

Bazaine,  Marshal,  surrender,  imprisonment, 
and  escape  of,  ty). 

Beads,  use  of,  in  Greece,  529,  530. 

Bear  Camp  River,  the  Jordan  likened  to,  467. 

Beard,  importance  among  Arabs,  129. 

Bears,  scene  of  the  tearing  of  children  by,  430. 

Beatitudes,  the  Mount  of,  461. 

Beautiful  Gate  of  the  Temple,  the,  374. 

Beauty,  an  ancient  mold  of,  235  ;  the 
Egyptian  Goddess  of,  267. 


INDEX. 


579 


Bebek,  village  of,  554. 

Bedouin,  a  venerable,  400. 

Bedouin  escorts,  necessity  of  employing,  400. 

Bedouins,  of  Numidia,  133  ;  at  Cairo,  222  ;  at 
the  Pyramids,  225,  227,  236 ;  fame  of  Mark 
Twain  among,  236,  237  ;  expulsion  from  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon,  442;  a  camp  of,  443  ;  ma- 
rauding tribes  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  468;  ag- 
ricultural, 471;  a  tribe  of  the  better  sort,  472. 

Bee-culture  at  Sulem,  443,  444. 

Beeroth,  430. 

Beethoven,  an  old  piano  of,  572. 

Beetle,  the,  in  Egypt,  322. 

Beetles,  sacred,  278. 

Beggars,  at  Lourdes,  7  ;  an  aristocracy  of,  10, 
43 ;  in  Spain,  33,  43,  4_4,  61,  62,  65,  67-69, 
71  ;  politeness  of,  67 ;  in  Morocco,  90 ;  in 
Egypt,  211,  222,  251,  256,  257,  282,  283,  434 ; 
in  Jerusalem,  418,  426 ;  at  Sinjil,  434  ;  in 
Nazareth,  457  ;  in  Cana,  458. 

Beirut,  the  harbor  of,  341  ;  American  College 
at,  343 ;  the  Protestant  College  of,  466 ; 
journey  from  Damascus  to,  491,  492  ;  his- 
tory and  missions,  492-496  ;  dialects  at,  554. 

Belgrade,  571. 

Belzoni,  on  the  ruins  of  Thebes,  275. 

Belzoni's  tomb,  291. 

Benhadad,  attempts  to  capture  Elisha  at 
Dothan,  441  ;  subdues  the  Danites,  472. 

Beni-Hassan,  a  tribe  of  thieves,  97. 

Beni-Hassan,  tombs  of,  252-255 ;  the  evil  vil- 
lage of,  256. 

Benjamin,  the  city  of,  350 ;  boundary  line 
between  Judah  and,  361  ;  supposed  location 
of  Rachel's  tomb  in  the  borders  of,  397 ; 
partial  annihilation  of  the  tribe,  429. 

Berbers,  in  Tangier,  89;  in  Numidia,  133. 

Berea,  Paul's  journey  to  Athens  from,  521. 

Bergamo,  conquered  by  Venice,  158. 

Berlin,  the  Treaty  of,  567. 

Bern,  scenery  of,  8. 

Bernadotte,  birthplace  of,  8. 

Bernardino,  and  the  playing-card  maker,  172. 

Bernese  Oberland,  the,  8. 

Bestiality,  Pompeii  and  American  cities  com- 
pared, 108. 

Bethany,  distance  from  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
369;  the  Ascension  from,  369;  road  from 
Jerusalem  to,  374 ;  traditional  scene  of  the 
parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan,  414 ;  house 
of  Simon  the  Leper  at,  414. 

Betharram,  miracles  at,  7. 

Bethel,  former  capital  of  the  Jews,  355 ; 
Rachel's  journey  to  Bethlehem  from,  397  ; 
the  village,  430. 

Bethlehem,  the  music  of,  63,  64 ;  road  from 
Jerusalem  tOj  396 ;  compared  with  Jerusa- 
lem, 397 ;  situation,  397 ;  manufactures, 
397  ;  Rachel's  journey  from  Bethel  to,  397  ; 
Samuel's  mission  to,  397,  398  ;  scene  of  the 
Nativity,  398  ;  Constantine  erects  a  church 
at,  398 ;  the  pilgrimage  of  St.  Jerome  to, 
399;  life,  works,  and  death  of  Paula  in, 
399 ;  farewell  view  of,  400,  429  •  visit  of 
Joseph  and  Mary  to,  452  ;  devotion  of  pil- 
grims to,  452. 

Bethsaida,  site  of,  468. 

Bethsaidas,  the  two,  467. 

Betin,  430. 

Biarritz,  9. 

Bible,  the,  discovery  of  America  predicted  in, 
46 ;  mention  of  Assouan  in,  304  ;  descrip- 
tion of  Hebrew  women's  costume,  320,  321 ; 
revered  among  the  Copts,  331 ;  Baedeker's 
30 


opinion  of  it,  as  a  history  of  Palestine,  341 ; 
on  the  situation  of  Jerusalem,  352  ;  describes 
the  captures  of  Jerusalem,  355;  modern 
Jerusalem  not  the  city  of,  356 ;  St.  Jerome'* 
translation  of,  399 ;  vividness  and  simplicity 
of  its  narrative  of  the  Witch  of  ICntlor,  446  ; 
its  qualities,  457  ;  its  graphic  descriptions, 
471 ;  Dr.  Van  Dyke's  Arabic  translation, 
495;  a  romantic  statement  from,  498;  trans- 
lated into  Bulgarian,  568.  See  also  NEW 
TESTAMENT;  OLD  TESTAMENT. 

Bible  House  in  Constantinople,  265,  556,  557. 

Biblioteca  Colombina,  45,  46. 

Bidassoa,  River,  10. 

Bigotry,  of  Jews  of  Tiberias,  466;  Turkish,  560. 

Bird,  Mountain  of  the,  251. 

Birds,  curious  belief  on  the  Nile  about,  251  : 
taming  of,  at  Mar  Saba,  404 ;  in  the  Dead 
Sea  region,  409. 

Biscay,  Bay  of,  the,  9,  n  ;  perils  of,  12; 
^abandonment  of  the  "Cleopatra"  in,  208. 

Bisharees,  in  Assouan,  305. 

Bishops,  sale  of  photographs  of,  439. 

Bitter  Lakes,  the,  337. 

Black  Sea,  the,  linked  to  Sea  of  Marmora, 
535  ;  trip  to,  548  ;  dangers  at  its  junction 
with  the  Bosporus,  548 ;  glimpses  of,  556. 

"  Blackwood's  Magazine,     quoted,  97. 

Blessing,  the  Mount  of,  436. 

Blessings,  how  obtained  at  Lourdes,  7. 

Blidah,  130. 

Blind,  the  Chapel  of  the,  Cairo,  326 ;  Christ 
healing  the,  361. 

Blindness,  prevalence  in  southern  Spain,  62  ; 
in  Morocco,  90 ;  influence  on  facial  expres- 
sion, 189  ;  in  Egypt,  264,  265  ;  leprous,  426. 

Bliss,  Dr.  Daniel,  492,  557. 

Bliss,  Dr.  Isaac  G.,  life  and  death  of,  265. 

Blizzard,  in  Palestine,  429. 

Blizzard  of  sand,  a,  335. 

Blondin,  a  rival  of,  236. 

Blood,  the  Field  of,  supposed  site  of,  361. 

Bloody  Village,  the,  548. 

Blue  Nile,  238. 

Blythe,  Dr.,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  421. 

Boat,  a  golden,  321. 

Boccaccio,  influence  on  the  Italian  language, 
167;  scenes  of  the  Decameron,  171  ;  the 
tales  of,  191. 

Boeotia,  distant  view  of,  528. 

Bombay,  saying  in  distance  from  various 
ports  to,  via  Suez  Canal,  338. 

Bon,  Cape,  120. 

Bonaparte,  Napoleon.    See  NAPOLEON  I. 

Bones,  fantastic  exhibition  of  human,  782 : 
peddling,  182. 

Bonnets,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Bon-Zarea,  Mount,  126,  128. 

Boolak  Museum,  the,  319-322.  _ 

Booth,  John  Wilkes,  favorite  lines  of,  512. 

Bordeaux,  arrival  at,  2  ;  its  wines,  i ;  Frank- 
lin in,  2  ;  shipping  in,  3. 

Borromeo,  San  Carlo,  relics  of,  150. 

Bosporus,  the,  535,  536,  539,  554;  formation 
of,  547  ;  steamers  on,  547  ;  dangers  at  its 
.junction  with  the  Black  Sea,  548  ;  nomen- 
clature of  the  villages  on,  548  ;  Byron  on, 
548  ;  a  splendid  prospect  of,  556. 

Botany,  Alcott  collection  at  Beirut,  495. 

Bottles,  manufacture  of  porous,  266. 

Boulanger,  General,  2. 

Boulogne,  i. 

Boundary-stones,  in  Palestine,  345. 

Bow,  the  Oriental,  243,  326. 


580 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Bracelets,  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 

Brambles,  at  Shechem,  436. 

Brasswork,  Arab,  216. 

Bread,  who  kneads  the  best,  258. 

Bread-making,  in  Egypt,  292. 

Brescia,  conquered  by  Venice,  158. 

Bribery,  in  ^pain,  69,  70  ;  in  Morocco,  98  ;  Of 
Turkish  guards,  474. 

Bridge  of  Sighs,  the,  165. 

"  Bright-faced  lady,  Our,"  343. 

Brindisi,  205. 

British  Channel,  i. 

British  Museum,  the,  a  noble  institution,  2095 
fragments  of  the  Sphinx  in,  232  ;  sarcophagi 
in,  236 ;  statue  of  Rameses  II  presented  to, 
244 ;  mummies  of  jackals  in,  263 ;  collec- 
tion of  historical  papyri  in,  319  ;  a  treasure 
in  store  for,  440  ;  the  Elgin  Marbles  in,  521. 

Broadwood,  a  famous  piano  by,  572. 

Bronzes,  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 

Brougham,  Lord,  liking  for  Cannes,  138,  139. 

Bruce's  tomb,  292. 

Brugsch  Bey,  on  the  antiquity  of  Thebes, 
276  ;  chronology  of  Menes,  322. 

Brunelleschi,  Philip,  architect  of  Florence 
cathedral,  169;  monument,  169  ;  work,  170. 

Brutus,  Marcus  Junius,  177;  statue  of,  in 
Naples,  189. 

Buckle,  Henry,  death  and  burial,  and  monu- 
ment to,  in  Damascus,  489. 

Buckley,  Rev.  J.  M.,  preaches  on  Mars'  Hill, 
521. 

Buda-Pesth,  571-573  ;  population,  571  ;  the 
National  Museum  at,  572. 

Buffaloes,  use  of,  in  Egypt,  250,  274  ;  at  Lake 
Huleh,  472  ;  in  Bulgaria,  568. 

Buffalo  milk,  250. 

Bulgaria,  the  capital  of,  568 ;  superstition  in, 
568. 

Bulgarian,  the  Bible  translated  into,  568. 

Bulgarian  Church,  the,  568. 

Bulgarians,  in  Constantinople,  538,  547 ;  at 
Robert  College,  554  :  appearance,  568. 

Bull,  fights  with  an  elephant,  a  lion,  and  a 
tiger,  78. 

Bullfights,  Charles  I  at,  20 ;  in  Spain,  74-80; 
attitude  of  the  Church  toward,  80. 

Bullfighters,  a  paradise  of,  43. 

Bull-nng,  at  San  Sebastian,  u. 

Bulls,  Tomb  of  the,  319. 

Bulrushes,  the  ark  of,  241. 

Bulwer,  E.  G.,  fondness  for  Naples,  187. 

Burckhardt,  J.  L.,  on  the  bust  of  Homer  in 
the  National  Museum,  Naples,  189. 

Burgos,  the  road  to,  13;  antiquity  of,  13; 
cathedral,  15-18;  castle,  18 ;  climate,  43. 

Burke,  Edmund,  on  Gibraltar,  114,  115. 

Burning  bush,  Moses  at  the,  331. 

Burnt  Column,  the,  560. 

Byron,  Lord,  on  Seville,  49  ;  on  the  Bridge 
of  Sighs,  165  ;  quoted,  462  ;  scene  of  his  feat 
on  the  Hellespont,  532;  on  the  view  from 
the  Giant's  Mountain,  548. 

Byzantine  art,  a  marvelous  creation  of,  543. 

Byzantine  Empire,  division  of  the,  158. 

Byzantines,  occupation  of  Naples,  191. 

Byzantium,  the  ancient  port  of,  535  ;  strife 
for,  536  •  besieged  by  Philip  of  Macedon, 
536 ;  a  rival  of,  537. 

"  Caballero,"  use  of  the  title,  68. 
Cabanerro,  Spanish  artist,  62,  63. 
Cabrita  Point,  in. 
Cactus  hedges,  in  Palestine,  345,  347,  453. 


Caelian  Hill,  177. 

Caesar,  Julius,  conquest  of  Seville,  43 ;  paint- 
ings of,  in  Florence,  171  ;  assassination  of, 
177;  alterations  in  the  Forum,  181  ;  father 
of  Caesarion,  269 ;  a  delayed  project  of  the 
time  of,  524  ;  re-establishes  Corinth,  527. 

Caesarea,  345  ;  Paul's  journey  to  Jerusalem 
from,  498. 

Caesarea  Philippi,  foundation  of,  473 ;  inci- 
dents in  the  life  of  Christ  at,  475,  476; 
height  of  Hermon  above,  476 ;  claim  of, 
as  scene  of  the  Transfiguration,  476. 

Caesarion,  son  of  Cleopatra,  269. 

Caiaphas,  the  palace  of,  417. 

Cain,  scene  of  the  murder  of  Abel  by,  480. 

Cairo,  209-219,  221,  222,  229  ;  splendors  of,  39  ; 
proposed  railroad  to  Suez  from,  209 ;  beg- 
gars in,  2H  ;  the  citadel.  212,  222  ;  mosques, 
213 ;  extraordinary  union  of  races  and 
sects  in,  214  ;  miraculous  transportation  of 
column  from  Mecca  to,  214;  road  to  the 
Pyramids  from,  221 ;  Egyptological  collec- 
tions, 229  ;  discovery  of  Sphinxes  at,  248 ; 
trade  with  Asyoot,  263 ;  residence  of  the 
U.  S.  Consul-General,  299 ;  return  to,  318 ; 
the  chief  physician  in,  318;  preparations 
for  an  indefinite  stay  in.  318;  studies  in, 
319  et  seq.  ;  University  of,  325,  326 ;  howl- 
ing dervishes,  326-330;  Presbyterian  mis- 
sion, 332  ;  social  intercourse,  334  ;  famous 
Americans  in,  335  ;  a  sandstorm  in,  335  ; 
departure  from,  335  ;  Ferdinand  de  Lessens 


French  consul  at,  336  ;  rainfall  in,  336 ;  lik- 
ened to  Damascus,  483  ;  Mr.  McFadden's 
sickness  in,  492  ;  use  of  donkeys  in,  505. 

Calcedonia,  537. 

Calendar,  in  Spain,  68. 

Calendar  of  epochs,  Mohammed's,  381. 

California,  Horace  Greeley's  famous  ride  in, 
236 ;  irrigation  in,  240;  fruits  and  vegetables 
of,  344  ;  leprosy  in,  427. 

Caligula,  the  Vindictive,  177 ;  his  name  in 
the  Temple  of  Denderah,  269. 

Calpe,  109. 

Calvary,  chapel  on  the  site  of,  394. 

Calvin,  John,  persecution  of,  8. 

Gambia,  Arnolfo  del,  designer  of  Florence 
cathedral,  169. 

Cambyses,  sieges  of  Karnak  by,  282 ;  battles 
of,  in  Egypt,  288  ;  breaks  the  statue  of 
Memnon,  297. 

Camel,  the  growl  of  a,  262,  274  ;  anecdote,  560. 

Camels,  use  of,  in  Egypt,  209-211,  222,  225, 
231,  244,  262,  278,  304  ;  the  discomforts  of 
riding,  304  ;  in  Jaffa,  342,  343  ;  a  caravan  of, 
432 ;  variety  among,  432 ;  the  instruments 
of  a  miracle,  465  ;  employed  in  transporting 
the  remains  of  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes,  500; 
use  of,  in  Turkey,  547. 

Campanile  of  Venice,  the,  166. 

Campbell's  Tomb,  236. 

Campo  Santo,  Genoa,  145. 

Campos  de  la  Mancha,  the,  36. 

Canaan,  a  synoptical  table  of,  282  ;  Joshua's 
partition  of,  342,  434. 

Canaanites,  successful  oppositicn  to  Ephraim, 
348  ;  former  owners  of  Shechem,  438. 

Canada,  represented  on  Mars'  Hill,  521. 

Cana-El-Jaeliel,  supposed  site  of  Cana  of 
Galilee,  458. 

Canals,  of  Venice,  161  ;  irrigating,  221,  226, 
240  ;  old  Egyptian,  336  ;  across  the  Isthmus 
of  Corinth,  524 ;  the  Suez  and  Corinthian 
compared,  524. 


INDEX. 


Cana  of  Galilee,  458,  459. 

Candia,  conquest  of,  by  Venice,  162 ;  in  sight 

of,  206. 

"  Candlestick  "  of  Smyrna,  the,  508. 
Caniuibis  Indica,  smoking,  93. 
Cannes,    138  ;   imprisonment   of  Bazaine   at, 

139- 

Canning  factories,  experience  in,  258. 

Cano,  Alonzo,  paintings  by,  23,  58. 

Canova,  statue  of  Napoleon  I  by,  154. 

Canovas,  del  Castillo,  demonstrations  against, 
24,  26 ;  oratory  of,  26. 

"Canterbury  Tales,"  the,  171. 

Capernaum,  Christ's  visit  to,  452  ;  healing  of 
the  nobleman's  son  at,  458  ;  in  the  time  of 
Christ,  467;  ruins,  468 ;  Christ's  life  and  work 
at,  468  ;  the  tribute-money  scene  at,  468. 

Cape  St.  Martin,  9. 

Capilla  Real,  the,  61,  62. 

Capital  of  ancient  civilization,  the,  174. 

Capital  of  the  world,  the,  174. 

Capitoline  Hill,  177. 

Capri,  island  of,  188. 

Capucine  Cemetery,  Rome,  182. 

Caralombos,  convent  of,  419. 

Caravan,  life  in  a,  428,  432,  433  ;  a  camel,  432. 

Caravans,  89  ;  Egyptian,  263  ;  rendezvous  of 
Asiatic,  556. 

Caria,  503. 

Carmel,  Mount,  347,  442,  443,  449,  450,  453. 

Carob-trees,  350,  366. 

Carpets,  Smyrna,  505,  506 ;  collections  of,  at 
Constantinople,  540. 

Carriage,  the  secret  of  a  graceful,  266. 

Carthage,  Archbishop  of,  126. 

Carthaginians,  subjugate  part  of  Spain,  52. 

Carthusian  monks,  13,  14. 

Cartouches,  Egyptian,  280. 

Cartuja  de  Miraflores,  the,  13,  14. 

Caryatids  of  the  Rameseum,  284. 

Casa  Loring,  Marquis  of,  64,  65. 

Casa  Santa,  the,  203,  454. 

Casino  at  Monte  Carlo,  the,  140,  141. 

Caskets,  antique,  320. 

Caspian  Sea,  relative  saltness  of,  409. 

"Cassim,"  fatal  forgetfulness  of,  440. 

Cassiopeia,  aspect  of,  in  Egypt,  315. 

Castelar,  Emilio,  25,  26. 

Castellar  Mountains,  112. 

Castile,  kings  of,  14  ;  kingdom  of,  55. 

Castile  and  Leon,  the  capital  of,  13. 

Castle  Hill,  Nice,  139. 

Castles  :  Pau,  8  ;  San  Sebastian,  n  ;  Burgos, 
18  ;  Toledo,  36;  Gibraltar,  112  ;  Nice,  139  ; 
in  Italy,  205  ;  Fort  Pharos,  207;  of  Zion, 
captured  by  David,  355  ;  of  Antonio,  Jeru- 
salem, 385  ;  Tiberias,  465  ;  at  Banias,  473  ; 
of  Europe,  532  ;  the  Earthenware,  532  ;  of 
Asia,  532. 

Cat,  an  Egyptian,  270. 

Catacombs  of  Rome,  181,  189,  203,  228  ;  in 
Russia,  228  ;  at  Asyoot,  264. 

Catalepsy,  among  howling  dervishes,  330. 

Catapults,  marks  of,  on  walls  of  Stamboul,  539. 

Cathedrals  :  Bayonne,  9  ;  Burgos,  15-18,  46  ; 
peculiarities  of  Spanish,  35,  46  ;  Toledo, 
35,  46  ;  Cordova,  39,  40  ;  Seville,  46,  149  ; 
Granada,  61,  62  ;  Malaga,  63  ;  irreverence 
in,  63,  64  ;  Gibraltar,  108  ;  Oran,  120  ;  Al- 

S'ers,  122  ;    Marseilles,  137  ;    San  Lorenzo, 
enpa,  144  ;    Milan,  149-154  ;    San  Marco, 
Venice,  162,  165,  166  ;    Florence,  169,  170  ; 
Naples,  188  ;  in  Italy,  205  ;  St.  Paul's,  Lon- 
don, 370  ;  Cologne,  370. 


Catherine,  Queen  of  Cyprus,  166. 

Catherine  de'  Medici,  9. 

Cats,  the  worship  of,  219. 

Catskills,  headwaters  of  the  Delaware  in  the. 
474- 

Caucasus,  the  Kalmucks  of  the,  559. 

"Cave,  the  Chapter  of  ihe,"  513. 

Cave-dwellers,  61. 

Caves,  used  as  stables  in  Palestine,  398. 

Caviglia,  discovery  in  Egypt,  244. 

Cavour,  Count,  statue  at  Milan,  154. 

Cedar,  Solomon's  purchase  of,  342. 

Cedars,  of  Lebanon,  used  in  construction  of 
Constantino's  church  at  Bethlehem,  398  ; 
of  Cyprus,  498. 

Celer,  baker  ol  Pompeii,  190. 

Censers,  use  of,  by  Copts,  331. 

Censorship  of  the  press,  Turkish,  562-565. 

Centaur,  the  constellation  of  the,  315. 

Center  of  the  World,  the  supposed,  381  ;  a 
cleft  reaching  to  the,  394. 

Central  Africa,  rainfall  in,  239. 

Central  America,  area  and  population  of 
British,  115. 

Central  Park,  New  York,  Cleopatra's  Needle 
in,  208,  306. 

Cervantes,  Miguel  de,  statue  of,  24.  25  ;  house 
of,  29  ;  scene  of"  Don  Quixote,"  36. 

Cesnola,  General  di,  collection  of  Cyprian 
antiquities,  499 ;  charges  against,  and  re- 
wards conferred  upon,  499. 

Ceuta,  81, 112. 

Chain  pump,  Egyptian  form  of  the,  274. 

Chains,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Chaldeans,  capture  of  Jerusalem  by  the,  355. 

Chamberlain,  Joseph,  241. 

Chamounix,  the  valley  of,  227. 

Champlain,  Lake,  beauty  of  sunset  on,  192. 

Changeable  suits  of  apparel,  Egyptian,  320. 

Chapels :  of  Adam,  394 ;  of  St.  George,  on 
Lykabettos,  522  ;  of  the  Annunciation,  Naz- 
areth, 454  ;  of  the  Apparition,  394  ;  of  the 
Blind,  Cairo,  326  ;  of  the  Egyptian  Mary, 
390 ;  of  the  Finding  of  the  Cross,  394 ;  of 
the  Manger.  399 ;  of  the  Nativity, 


Jerome,  399  ;  practice  of  building,  393  ;  the 
Sistine,  186. 

"  Chapter  of  the  Cave,"  the,  513. 

Character,  effect  of  climate  on,  191. 

Charity,  Jews  subsisting  on,  418. 

Charlemagne,  ruins  of  time  of,  4  ;  son  of,  154. 

Charles  I,  of  England,  visit  to  Madrid,  20. 

Charles  II,  of  Spain,  death  of,  no. 

Charles  V,  visits  Cordova,  40 ;  destroys  part 
of  the  Alhambra,  56  ;  assault  on  Algiers,  129. 

Charles  IX,  orders  massacre  of  St.  Barthol- 
omew, 9. 

Charms,  use  of,  among  the  Nubians,  312,  313. 

Charon,  origin  of  the  fable  concerning,  252. 

Chateaubriand,  F.  A., on  the  approach  to  Con- 
stantinople, 535. 

Chatillon,  R.  de,  defeated  by  Saladin,  487. 

Chaucer,  a  follower  of  Boccaccio.  171. 

Chawia,  the,  133. 

Cheesemakers,  the  valley  of  the,  356. 


Chessboard,  an  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 
Chicago,  an  eccentric  household  from,  425. 
Chicken-bone,  divination  by  a,  313. 


582 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Chiffa,  River,  133. 

Child,  a  hostage  for  stolen  property,  312. 

Child-eater,  a,  273. 

Children,  Samaritan,  439  ;  Bedouin,  472. 

China,  missions  in,  335 ;  the  Methodist 
Church  in,  496. 

Chinese,  leprosy  among  the,  426. 

Chios,  landing  at,  503. 

Cholera,  plague  in  Marseilles,  137  ;  at  Tou- 
lon, 138;  epidemic  in  Naples,  192. 

Chorazin,  in  time  of  Christ,  467  ;  site  of,  468. 

Chosroes,  raids  the  convent  of  Mar  Saba,  403. 

Christ,  the  tears  of,  200 ;  statue  of,  203  ;  im- 
print of  his  feet,  203  ;  the  deity  of,  207;  con- 
temporary with  completion  of  the  Temple 
of  Denderah,  267 ;  the  Coptic  belief  in 
the  divinity  of,  331  ;  flight  to  Egypt,  349  ; 
crucifixion  of,  see  CRUCIFIXION  ;  love  for 
Jerusalem,  351  ;  Jerusalem  in  the  time  of. 
355 ;  healing  the  blind  man,  361  ;  betrayal, 
361,  365  ;  as  judge  at  the  last  day,  362  ; 
scenes  in  the  life  of,  365 ;  weeping  over 
Jerusalem,  369;  the  triumphal  procession 
of,  369,  374  ;  cave  said  to  have  been  fre- 
quented by,  370 ;  tradition  of  his  second 
coming,  374  ;  Mohammedan  idea  of,  378, 
553,  554  I  a  footprint  of,  382  ;  the  Via  Do- 
lorosa  of,  382,  385,  386  ;  scene  of  binding  the 
cross  on  his  shoulders,  385  ;  sinking  under 
the  cross,  385,  386 ;  mark  of  his  shoulder, 
386;  meeting  with  his  mother,  386;  address 
to  the  women,  386  ;  anointing  the  body  of, 
390;  third  appearance  to  Mary  Magdalene, 
390 ;  the  piercing  of  his  side,  394 ;  the 
laborer  sowing  peas,  and,  397 ;  birthplace, 
398,  399  ;  a  Hebrew  opinion  of,  400  ;  bap- 
tism of,  410,  452 ;  temptation  and  forty 
days'  fast,  413  ;  route  from  Jericho  to  Jeru- 
salem, 414 ;  a  lunatic's  delusion  regarding 
the  second  coming  of,  422  ;  missing  from 
his  parents'  company  at  Beeroth,  430;  at 
Jacob's  Well,  437;  visit  to  Capernaum, 
452  ;  last  visit  to  Nazareth,  452,  453  ;  life 
in,  and  connection  with,  Nazareth,  452- 

457  ;  no  relic  of  his  manual  work  existing, 
456;  first    miracle,  458;  miracles  at  Cana, 

458  ;  the  Sea  of  Galilee  in  the  time  of,  467  ; 
pays   tribute-money,  468  ;   walking  on  the 
water,  468  ;  asleep  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee, 
468  ;  life  at  Capernaum,    468  ;    declaration 
to  Peter,  475;  incidents  in   his  life  at  Cses- 
area     Philippi,    475,    476;    destruction     of 
image  of,  in  church  at  Damascus,  484,  487 ; 
in   praise  of   Smyrna,   507;   tribulation   of 
Smyrna  for.  507,  508  ;  cradle  and  bath,  540. 

Christ  Church,  Jerusalem,  422. 

Christian,  the  natural  emotions  of  a,  399. 

Christian  architecture,  the  most  ancient 
monument  of,  399. 

Christian  heroism,  203. 

Christianity,  growth  of,  in  Alexandria,  207 ; 
a  Mohammedan  convert  to,  265  ;  in  Egypt, 
3°9,i  33°~333  I  mixture  of,  in  Mohammed- 
anism, 323 ;  among  the  Copts,  330,  331 ; 
narrow  line  between  Mohammedanism  and, 
333  ;  the  sacred  places  of,  341  ;  issues  be- 
tween Mohammedanism  and,  378  ;  in  Abys- 
sinia, 420,  421  ;  in  Damascus,  484;  the  life 
of,  522 ;  Islam's  victories  over  Judaism 
and,  543  ;  the  frontier  of,  549. 

Christian  quarter  in  Damascus,  the,  483. 

Christians,  their  word  rejected  in  Morocco 
courts,  98  ;  belief  of  the  early,  regarding 
lunatics,  217 ;  persecution  of,  in  Egypt, 


264 ;  early,  in  Egypt,  288 ;  Mohammed's 
tolerance  of,  323  ;  paganism  among,  325 ; 
renegade,  325 ;  recapture  Jerusalem,  356  ; 
animosity  between  Jews  and,  in  Jerusalem, 
377 ;  reverence  for  Rachel's  tomb,  397 ; 
peculiar  doctrine  regarding  settlement  of, 
in  Palestine,  422  ;  undesirability  of  their 
control  of  Jerusalem,  425;  agree  as. to  site 
of  Jacob's  Well,  435;  ai  Nabulus,  438; 
attitude  of  inhabitants  of  Nabulus  toward, 
438;  wars  with  Samaritans,  440;  Samari- 
tans become,  440  ;  rallying-point  for,  during 
the  Crusades,  474 ;  estimate  of  Saladin, 
487;  slaughter  of,  in  Damascus,  488;  in 
Cyprus,  497 ;  the  preeminent  interest  of, 
in  Smyrna,  507  ;  of  Smyrna,  508  ;  contrasted 
with  Turks,  559. 

Christian  science,  a  Bedouin  parallel  of,  492. 
Christmas    Eve,    midnight    mass   in   Malaga 

cathedral,  63,  64. 
Chrysostom,  St.,  followers  of,  burn  church  of 

Santa  Sophia,  540. 
Churches:    Christ  Church,   Jerusalem,  422; 

Gloria     in    Excelsis,  400 ;    of  Buda-Pesth, 

572 ;   of    Dionysius   the    Areopagite,   522  ; 

of  the  Annunciation,   Nazareth,  454,  455  ; 

of  the  Ascension,   369;    of  the  Greeks  in 


Syria,  419  ;  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  172,  382- 
394,  420;  of  the  Nativity,  398,  399;  of  the 
Three  Fountains,  the,  203  ;  on  Mount 


ree  Fountans,  te,  203  ;  on  ount 
Gerizim,  437  ;  St.  Anne,  Jerusalem,  382  ; 
St.  John  Lateran,  182  ;  St.  Maria  Maggiore, 
•399  ;  St.  Paul,  Naples,  189  ;  St.  Paul 
\\  ithout  the  Walls,  186,  203  ;  St.  Peter's, 
Rome,  475;  St.  Polycarp,  Smyrna,  508; 
San  Marcc,  Venice,  162,  165,  166  ;  San  Mar- 
tino,  Naples,  189  ;  the  Angel's  Chapel,  393. 

Cicero,  statue  of,  in  Naples,  189  ;  on  the  First 
Cataract,  310  ;  Ephesus  and,  509  ;  scene  of 
his  exile,  531. 

Cid,  the,  14. 

Cigars,  manufacture  in  Seville,  44. 

Cilicia,  Samian  colony  in,  503. 

Cimon  the  Athenian,  509. 

Cincinnati,  likened  to  Servia,  571. 

Cinnamon,  trade  in,  at  Asyoot,  263. 

Circassia,  the  white  slaves  of,  561. 

Circassians,  in  Constantinople,  547  ;  at 
Robert  College,  555. 

Circumcision  of  children  born  in  the  wilder- 
ness, the  scene  of,  413. 

Cistercians,  a  convent  of  the,  14. 

Cities  of  the  Plain,  destruction  of  the,  405, 
409,  410.  See  also  GOMORRAH  ;  SODOM. 

Citron-culture,  at  Sulem,  443. 

City  of  Cities,  the,  174. 

City  of  David,  origin  of  the  name,  355. 

City  of  the  Soul,  the,  174. 

City  of  the  Tombs,  the,  212,  213. 

City  of  Wolves,  the,  263. 

Clauda,  206. 

Claudius,  his  name  in  the  Temple  of  Den- 
derah, 269  ;  contribution  to  the  Temple  of 
Isis,  309. 

Cleanliness,  among  the  Samaritans,  439. 

Clemens  VIII,  Pope,  indulgences  granted  by, 
26,  27. 

Cleopatra,  Balm  of  Gilead  planted  by,  219  ; 
relations  with  Caesar,  269  ;  contribution  to 
the  Temple  of  Isis,  309  ;  residence  at 
Samos,  503. 

"  Cleopatra,"  voyage  of  the,  208. 

Cleopatra's  Needles,  208,  306. 

Clergymen,  sale  of  photographs  by,  439. 


INDEX. 


583 


Climate,  effect  of  forests  on,  19  ;  influence  on 
character,  71,  191  ;  the  most  delightful  in 
the  world,  93  ;  effect  on  architecture,  190  ; 
influence  on  insanity,  217  ;  influence  in 
Egypt,  240. 

Cnidus,  503. 

Coates,  Sir  Peter,  winter  residence  in  Al- 
giers, 129,  130  ;  death,  130. 

Cobblers,  philosophical,  23. 

Cock,  the  warning  to  St.  Peter,  417. 

Coffee,  in  Tangier,  89,  92  ;  at  the  Khedive's 
dinners,  216;  Egyptian,  299,  301,  334;  in 
Jerusalem,  421  ;  in  Constantinople,  553. 

Coffee-cups,  valuable,  216. 

Coffee-houses,  in  Cairo,  211. 

Cogoleto,  Columbus's  alleged  birthplace,  143. 

Coins,  in  National  Museum,  Naples,  190 ; 
from  Pompeii,  197  ;  Ephesian,  511  ;  trade 
in  spurious,  in  Athens,  516. 

College  of  the  Propaganda,  the,  182. 

CoUeges,  Presbyterian,  at  Asyoot,  264  ;  Sala- 
din  s  building  of,  487. 

Cologne,  how  to  view  the  cathedral  at,  370. 

Colon,  Fernando,  founder  of  Biblioteca  Co- 
lombina,  45  ;  tomb  of,  46. 

Colosseum,  the,  178  ;  statue  of  Nero  at,  287. 

Colossi,  the,  294-297,  538. 

Colossus,  at  Luxor,  277 ;  of  Rhodes,  499, 
500. 

Columbia    College,    honors    Gen.    Cesnola, 

499- 

Columbus,  Christopher,  first  gold  brought  to 
Europe  by,  35  ;  discovery  of  America,  45  ; 
geographical  studies  of,  45,  46 ;  transac- 
tions with  the  Inquisition,  46  ;  embarkation 
from  Seville,  49  ;  Isabella  s  aid  to,  56,  62  ; 
relics  in  Seville,  143  ;  statue  at  Genoa,  143  ; 
birthplace,  143  ;  statue  at  Milan,  154. 

Columbus,  Ferdinand.     See  COLON. 

Column,  a  sweating,  540 ;  the  Burnt,  at  Con- 
stantinople, 560. 

Column  of  Gabriel,  the,  454. 

Column  of  the  Scourging,  the,  385. 

Column  of  the  Three  Serpents,  the,  560. 

Columns,  a  forest  of  magnificent,  279  ;  weep- 
ing, 394 ;  Eastern  use  of,  399  ;  a  street  of, 
in  Nabulus,  441  ;  profane  use  of,  520 ;  of 
Corinth,  527. 

Commerce  in  Morocco,  97-99  ;  importance  of, 
146 ;  Venetian,  158 ;  in  Egypt,  240. 

Commercial  morality  of  the  Greeks,  529. 

Communion,  administration  of,  among  the 
Copts,  331. 

Como,  Lake,  view  of  the  mountains  of,  from 
Milan  cathedral,  153. 

Confederate  promissory  notes,  573. 

Confessional,  in  Spain,  71. 

Confessional-boxes,  in  St.  Peter's,  i82_. 

Congresso  de  los  Disputandas,  of  Spain,  24. 

Conjectures,  a  wilderness  of,  385. 

Conjurors,  89. 

Connecticut,  a  Yankee  from,  at  Thebes,  278. 

Conscription  of  laborers  on  Suez  Canal,  337. 

Conservator!!,  145. 

Constantine,  province  of,  133. 

Constantine  the  Great,  177 ;  victory  over 
Maxentius,  181  ;  Triumphal  Arch  of,  181  ; 
the  mother  of,  202,  203.  389  (see  also  HEL- 
ENA) ;  erects  church  at  Bethlehem,  398 ; 
orders  destruction  of  Temple  of  Diana,  512  ; 
makes  Byzantium  his  capital,  536 ;  builds 
the  walls  of  Stamboul,  539 ;  founding  of 
Santa  Sophia  in  time  of,  540  ;  the  unfinished 
hippodrome  of,  560. 


Constantinople,  Saracen  siege  of,  55  ;  historic 
painting  of,  6 ^ ;  conquest  by  Venice,  158; 
-bronze  horses  in,  162,  165  ;  a  rival  of  Naples 
for  beauty,  188 ;  ashes  from  Vesuvius  ar, 
195 ;  mission  of  Eutropius  to  Lycopolis 
from,  264  ;  the  Bible  House  in,  265,  55'j,  557; 
Miss  Mangan's  influence  at,  344 ;  artists 
brought  to  Damascus  from,  487  ;  reduction 
of  journey  from  Messina  to,  524  ;  voyage 
from  the  Piraeus  10,  531  ;  a  rival  of  Rome, 
532  ;  approach  to,  532,  535-538  ;  situation, 
535  ;  sieges,  536 ;  Mohammedan  conquest 
°fi  53^  i  Roman  acquisition  of,  536  ;  final 
capture  by  the  Turks,  536;  the  modern 
city.  536  et  *eq. ;  architecture,  537 ;  L>e 
Amicis  on,  537;  mosques,  540;  celebration 
of  the  Suliun  s  birthday  in,  544  ;  likened  to 
London  and  Paris,  547  ;  traffic  in,  547  ;  Ar- 
menians in,  549 ;  shipping  of,  549  ;  the 
Greek  patriarch  at,  549  ;  the  Sultan  s  week- 


ly journey  to  worship,  550,  553 ;  Robert 
College,  554,  555  ;  atheism  in,  555  ;  burying- 
grounds,  556  ;  Treasury,  557  ;  custom  of  sell- 


.ng  the  air,  557  ;  hippodrome,  560 ;  statue 
of  Apollo,  560  ;  the  Seven  Towers,  560,  561  ; 
fountains  and  scenery,  561  ;  eunuchs,  561, 
562  ;  dogs,  562  ;  departure  from,  567. 

Contrast,  a  striking,  314. 

Convents,  Mar  Saba,  400-404 ;  of  the  Greek 
Church  in  Syria,  419. 

Conybeare,  W.  J.,  quoted,  490. 

Cook,  the  advantage  of  a  fat,  258. 

Cooking,  Egyptian  representations  of,  292. 

Cooks,  wandering,  in  Egypt,  210. 

Coos,  501,  503. 

Coptic  chapel  at  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  390. 

Coptic  convent,  on  the  Nile,  251. 

Coptic  convents  of  Egypt,  research  in,  248. 

Coptic  inscriptions  in  temple  of  Ptolemy 
Philopater,  288. 

Coptic  language,  decay  of,  331. 

Copts,  turbans  of,  212;  union  with  other  races 
and  sects  in  Cairo,  214  ;  claim  for  the  Vir- 
gin's Tree,  219;  education  of,  at  Asyoot, 
264;  Christianity,  330,  331  ;  customs,  char- 
acteristics, etc.,  331  ;  intoxication,  331  ;  com- 
pared with  Arabs,  331,  332  ;  number  of,  in 
Egypt,  332  ;  in  the  Presbyterian  mission 
schools  of  Egypt,  332,  333  ;  ownership  of 
the  Stone  of  Anointing,  300;  worship  in 
the  Angel's  Chapel,  394  ;  worship  in  the 
Chapel  of  the  Sepulcher,  394 ;  monastery 
and  chapels  in  Jerusalem,  420  ;  connection 
with  the  Abyssinian  Church,  421. 

Coral,  lack  of,  in  the_Dead  Sea,  409. 

Coral-divers,  of  Symi,  500. 

Cordova,  birthplace  of  eminent  men,  36 ;  his- 
tory, situation,  characteristics,  etc.,  36-40  ; 
cathedral,  39,  40 ;  past  glories,  40 ;  Roman 
remains  in,  40  ;  Muley  Abbas  in,  40  ;  West- 
ern Caliphate  at,  55  ;  bull-pastures,  77. 

Coressian  Gate,  Ephesus,  the,  511. 

Coressus,  Mount,  510. 

Corfu,  captured  by  the  Venetians,  158. 

Corinth,  view  of,  from  the  Parthenon,  521 ; 
arrival  at,  524 ;  old  and  new,  524 ;  route 
from  Athens  to,  524 ;  Gulf  of,  524,  528 ; 
Isthmus  of,  524  ;  trade,  527  ;  re-established 
by  Caesar,  527 ;  favorable  site,  527 ;  deca- 
dence, 527  ;  rivals  of,  527  ;  weakness  of  the 
church  in,  528. 

Corinthians,  interest  in  naval  matters.  503; 
scene  of  writing  the  First  Epistle  to_  the,  514. 

Corn,  in  Egypt,  240 ;  Danube  trade  in,  549. 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Cornaro.  Catherine,  birthplace  of,  166. 

Cornell  University,  the  President  of,  in  Cairo, 
335  ;  in  Athens,  516. 

Corporal  punishment,  in  Tangier,  86. 

Correggio,  Antonio,  paintings  by,  23,  171. 

Corruption  in  Morocco,  97,  98. 

Corso  Garibaldi,  the,  192. 

Corso  Vittorio  Emanuele,  the,  192. 

Cortes,  the  Spanish,  24-26 ;  attitude  toward 
bullfights,  80. 

Cortes,  Ferdinand,  embarks  from  Seville,  49. 

Cossacks,  in  Constantinople,  547. 

Costume,  Albanian,  528,  529 ;  Arab,  212  ;  Cir- 
cassian, 547  ;  Egyptian,  209,  210,  212,  287, 
306,  320,  321  ;  in  Gibraltar,  107  ;  Greek,  528, 
529,  547;  in  Italy,  200;  of  Mohammedan 
women,  547  ;  Moorish,  90,  91  ;  Nubian,  312; 
Servian,  571  ;  Spanish,  66,  67 ;  in  Tangier, 
85  ;  Tartar,  547  ;  contrasts  in,  547  ;  descrip- 
tion of  that  of  Hebrew  women,  by  Isaiah, 
320,  321  ;  of  friars,  547;  supposed,  of  Jo- 
seph's brethren,  255. 

Cotton-culture,  in  Egypt,  209,  239,  240. 

Council  of  Nice,  207,  540. 

Council  of  Ten,  167. 

"  Count  of  Monte  Cristo,"  138. 

Coupd'etat,  anniversary  of  Napoleon  Ill's, i. 

Courier,  an  invaluable,  215. 

Cours  Belzance,  Marseilles,  137. 

Courtesy,  Oriental,  326. 

Court  of  Lions,  Alhambra,  52. 

Court  of  Oranges,  40. 

Cow,  worship  of  the  sacred,  268. 

Cows,  sacred,  in  Asyoot,  262. 

Cramps,  wooden,  a  study  for  architects,  288. 

Cranes,  on  the  Nile,  250;  in  the  plain  of  Es- 
draelon,  442. 

Cranks,  154. 

Crawford,  Earl  of,  residence  near  Florence, 
171. 

Crawford,  Rev.  John,  mission  work  of,  489. 

Crema,  conquered  by  Venice,  158. 

Cremation,  at  Milan,  154. 

Crescent,  the,  its  first  planting  in  Europe, 
532  ;  legend  of,  536. 

Cretans,  St.  Paul  s  characterization  of  the, 
206. 

Crete,  206  ;  Samian  colony  in,  503. 

Crimea,  the  1  artars  of  the,  559. 

Crimean  War,  382  ;  Gen.  Cesnola  in,  499. 

Crio-Sphinx,  Avenue  of  the,  279. 

Cripples,  at  Lourdes,  7 ;  in  Egypt,  222. 

Crisping-pins,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Criticism,  difficulties  of,  45 ;  fashions  in,  51  ; 
a  latitude  of,  497. 

Crocodiles,  mummies  of,  261  ;  stories  about, 
and  worship  of,  269-273  ;  in  Florida  and 
Louisiana,  273. 

Croesus,  509. 

Crophi,  the  mountain  of.  310. 

Cross,  the,  binding  on  Christ's  shoulders,  385; 
sinking  under,  -585,  386;  Simon's  bearing 
of,  386;  Helena's  search  for,  389;  Chapels 
of  the  Raising  and  Finding  of,  394 ;  muti- 
lated by  Turks,  543. 

Crosses,  Coptic  use  of,  331  ;  manufacture  of, 
at  Bethlehem,  397. 

Crown  of  thorns,  the,  385. 

Crow's  Nest,  Gibraltar,  112. 

Crucifixion,  the,  painting  at  Florence,  170 ; 
the  railing  of  the  thieves,  349  ;  disturbances 
in  Jerusalem  after,  355  ;  route  to  the  place 
of,  382,  385,  386 ;  questionable  site  of,  386, 
389  ;  earthquakes  at,  394. 


Cruelty  in  Spain,  ecclesiastical,  10  ;  to  ani- 
mals, 74-80. 

Crusade,  a  famous,  81. 

Crusaders,  a  famous  road  of,  346 ;  build  a 
church  at  Mizpah,  350  ;  capture  Jerusalem, 
356 ;  celebration  of  Palm  Sunday,  374  •  a 
relic  of  the,  382  ;  battle  at  Horns  of  Hattin, 
461  ;  besiege  Constantinople,  536. 

Crusades,  the  use  of  the  word  "  assassin " 
during,  218  ;  importance  of  Banias  during, 
474  ;  romance  of,  487. 

Cubit,  the  measure  of  a,  214. 

Culture,  the  cradle  of  human,  206 ;  rise  and 
decay  of  Egyptian,  322. 

Cursing,  Mount  of,  437. 

Gushing    Caleb,  at  the  Alhambra,  57. 

Custom-house  inspection,  at  Irun,  10. 

"  Custom  of  the  country,"  the,  257. 

Cyanean  Rocks,  the,  548. 

Cyclopean  ruins,  510. 

Cyprus,  a  British  outpost,  115  ;  birthplace  of 
Queen  Catherine  of,  166;  from  Beirut  to, 
497 ;  climate,  497 ;  size,  population,  etc., 
497-499  ;  cedars  and  swords  of,  408  ;  Paul's 
voyage  "  under,"  498  ;  Lazarus' s  remark- 
able voyage  to,  498 ;  colonizers  of,  498 ; 
resorted  to  by  Scriptural  characters,  498  ; 
Solon's  residence  in,  498;  Cesnola's  collec- 
tion of  antiquities  from,  499 ;  voyage  to 
Rhodes  from,  499  ;  beautiful  women  of,  409. 

Cyrus,  king  of  Persia,  grants  timber  for  the 
Temple,  342. 

Dahabeah,  travel  on  the  Nile  by,  241,  244, 

317- 
Dalmatia,    geology     of,    109 ;     conquest    by 

Venice,  158  ;  removal  of  the  Virgin's  house 

from  Nazareth  to,  203,  454. 
Damaris,  the  believer,  522. 
Damascenes,  wars  between  the  Israelites  and 

the,  480. 
Damascus,    road    from    Jerusalem    to,    374 ; 

ancient  caravan  route  to  Egypt  from,  471  ; 

road  from  Banias  to,  478,  479  ;  Roman  road 

to  Palestine  and  Egypt  from,  479  ;  arrival 


relation  to,  480  ;  described  by  Ezekiel,  480 ; 
quarters  of,  483  ;  likened  to  Cairo,  483  ; 
situation,  483  ;  bazaars,  483  ;  departed  glo- 
ries of  its  blades,  483  ;  Arab  opinion  of,  483  ; 
merchants,  483,  484 ;  barbers,  484  ;  clothing- 
trade,  ^84  ;  captured  by  Saladin,  487  ;  Mos- 
lem seizure  of  the  Christian  church,  484, 
487 ;  Arab  superstition  regarding  erection  of 
the  Great  Mosque,  487  ;  Mohammedan  out- 
rages, 488  ;  leper  hospitals,  488  ;  St.  Paul's 
escape  from,  488,  489 ;  Protestant  mission, 
489  ;  Protestant  cemetery,  489  ;  an  earthly 
paradise,  489  ;  Buckle's  tomb,  489  ;  Cony- 
beareand  Howson's  description,  490;  French 
occupation,  491  ;  massacres,  491  ;  road  to 
Beirut  from,  491 ;  dismissing  the  caravan  at, 
491  ;  scenery  about,  491. 

Damascus  Gate,  Jerusalem,  373,  374,  389. 

Dames  de  Nazareth,  the,  496. 

Dan,  share  of  Canaan,  342. 

Dan,  luncheon  at,  472  ;  fountain  of  the  Jor- 
dan at,  474,  475. 

Dancing,  in  Spain,  68. 

Dancing-women  in  Thebes,  299. 

Dandolo,  Admiral,  conquest  of  Candia,  162. 

Danes,  at  Robert  College,  555. 


INDEX. 


585 


Danites,  a  desperate  clan,  472  ;  subdued  by 
Benhadad,  472. 

Dante,  statue  at  Milan,  154  :  birthplace,  167  ; 
influence  on  the  Italian  language,  167;  a 
great  moral  educator,  167 ;  monument  in 
Horence,  170. 

Danube,  corn-trade  of  the,  549 ;  tributaries, 
568  ;  union  with  the  Save,  571 ;  at  Buda- 
Pesth,  571,  572. 

Darfoor,  trade  with  Asyoot,  263. 

Dark  Continent,  scenery  of  the,  136. 

Darkness,  religious  ceremonies  in  total,  267. 

Darro,  River,  50,  51. 

Dashoor,  a  cemetery  of  Memphis,  247. 

Dates,  of  Keneh,  266;  the  staff  of  life  in 
Nubia,  312. 

David,  King,  offense  against  the  ark  of  the 
covenant,  350;  love  for  Jerusalem,  351  ; 
defeats  the  Jebusites,  352,  355  ;  the  city  of, 
origin  of  the  name,  355  ;  tomb  of,  374,  417  ; 
supposed  site  of  an  altar  of,  377 ;  alleged 
praying-spot  of,  381  ;  scene  of  his  defeat 
of  the  Philistines,  396 ;  great-grandmother 
of,  397  ;  scenes  of  his  exploits,  398 ;  the 
house  of,  417 ;  Tower  of,  417 ;  conquers 
Damascus,  480  ;  Turkish  views  of  his  music- 
al abilities,  563. 

Day  of  Judgment,  Mohammed's  reckoning  of 
the,  381. 

Dead,  burial  of  the,  in  Genoa,  145,  146. 

Dead  Sea,  exploded  traditions  concerning, 
405,  406,  409,  410;  view  of,  from  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  370  ;  ride  to,  405  ;  its  causes,  con- 
dition, and  history,  405-410 ;  level  com- 
pared with  the  Mediterranean,  406  ;  depth, 
406  ;  specific  gravity  of  its  waters,  406  ;  rel- 
a_tive  saltness,  409  ;  animal  life,  409  ;  pecu- 
liarity of  its  waters,  409  ;  the  author's  belief 
concerning  its  formation,  410  ;  a  glorious 
view  of,  413 ;  reputed  imprisonment  of 
John  the  Baptist  near,  441  ;  its  appalling 
but  truthful  name,  467,  475 ;  the  grave  of 
the  Jordan,  475. 

De  Amicis,  Edmondo,  description  of  the  Al- 
hambra,  50 ;  on  the  approach  to  Constan- 
tinople, 532,  537.  _ 

Deborah,  song  of  victory  of,  445,  446. 

"  Decameron,  '  the,  171. 

Decapitation,  in  MoroccOj  94. 

Decatur,  Captain,  action  in  Algiers,  128. 

Decorations,  ancient  Egyptian,  320,  321. 

Dedication,  the  feast  of  the,  377. 

Deities,  multinominal,  267. 

Deity,  the  attributes  of  the,  according  to  the 
dervishes,  553,  554. 

Delaware  River,  analogy  between  the  Jordan 
and  the,  474. 

Delphi,  the  oracle  of,  264  ;  the  Megarians 
and  the  oracle,  537 ;  the  tripod  of  the 
priest  of  Apollo  at,  560. 

Demetrius,  convent  of,  419;  impeaches  Paul, 

5'2. 

Democracy,  what  constitutes  a,  571. 

Demosthenes,  statue  of,  in  Naples,  189; 
scene  of  his  orations,  522  ;  the  city  of,  523; 
oration  against  Philip  of  Macedon,  536. _ 

Denderah,  the  temple  of,  266-269 ;  paintings 
in,  267  ;  religious  ceremonies  in,  267. 

Denmark,  blackmailed  by  Algiers,  127. 

Dervish,  anecdote  of  a,  560. 

Dervishes,  spinning,  326  ;  howling,  326-330  ; 
in  Constantinople,  547;  various  orders  of, 
553;  spinning,  of  Constantinople,  553;  at- 
tributes of  the  Deity  according  to,  553,  554. 


Desert,  an  hour  alone  in  the,  311;  near 
Damascus,  491;  the  Arabian,  335;  the 
Egyptian,  222,  225,  226,  233,  238,  240,  247, 
258,265,  269,288,  293,  303,  337,  338,  479; 
the  Libyan,  238,  293,  294. 

Despots,  544. 

Devil,  the,  crafty  work  of  the,  381. 

Devilfish,  at  Naples,  190. 

Devils,  the  herd  of  swine  and  the,  471. 

Diadem,  an  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 

Dialects,  strange,  504,  506 ;  at  Robert  Col- 
lege. 554  I  at  Beirut,  554. 

Diana,  warning  to  Alexander  the  Great  from, 
507 ;  alleged  birthplace,  509;  Temple  of,  51 1. 

Diarbekir,  captured  by  Saladin,  487. 

Diaz  de  Bavar,  Rodrigo,  Ruy  de,  14. 

Dimas,  the  penitent  thief,  349. 

Diocletian,  martyrdom  of  St.  Januarius 
under,  188;  tribute  of  Pompeius  to,  207; 
the  Seven  Sleepers  in  the  time  of,  513. 

Diodorus  Siculus,  relates  origin  of  fable  of 
Charon,  252. 

Diogenes,  the  home  of,  527 ;  Alexander's 
visit  to,  527. 

Dionysius  the  Areopagite,  the  church  of,  522. 

Dionysus,  the  theater  of}  520. 

Disciples,  myth  concerning  the,  361. 

Disease,  influence  of,  on  insanity,  217 ;  a 
Turkish  method  of  cure,  549. 

Dispensation,  a  special,  36. 

Display,  Italian  love  of,  200. 

Disraeli,  Benjamin,  visits  the  Alhambra,  57. 

"  Distance  lends  enchantment,"  537. 

Divers,  of  Symi,  the,  500. 

Divination  by  a  chicken-bone,  313. 

Dizziness,  cause  of,  225,  226  ;  in  ascent  of  the 
Great  Pyramid,  237. 

Djebel  Mouzaia,  133. 

Doctors  of  divinity.  George  Eliot  on  the 
vanity  of,  439. 

Dodge,  Rev.  D.  Stuart,  work  at  Beirut.  495. 

Dodge,  William  E.,  495. 

Doges,  Palace  of  the,  Venice,  165  ;  corona- 
tion of  the,  165. 

Dogs,  in  Egypt,  250,  266;  in  Palestine,  433, 
443,  451  ;  of  Constantinople,  562. 

Dome  of  the  Rock,  the,  378,  381. 

Domitian,  the  Persecutor,  177  ;  contribution 
to  the  Temple  of  Isis,  309. 

Dom  palms,  261. 

"  Don,"  use  of  the  title,  67. 

Donatello,  sculptor,  167  ;  crucifix  by,  170. 

Donatus,  figure  of,  in  Florence,  170. 

Donkey,  anecdote  of  a,  560. 

Donkey-boys,  in  Egypt,  244. 

Donkeys,  use  of,  in  Egypt,  209-211,  221,  222, 
244,  256,  262,  278,  294,  304,  5os  ;  in  Jaffa, 
342,  343  ;  in  Palestine,  373,  374!  in  Smyrna, 
505;  in  Turkey.  547. 

"  Don  Quixote,'  authorship,  publication,  and 
scenes  of,  36. 

Doomsday,  a  suggestion  of,  196. 

Doorsy,  John,  Hobib,  and  Micheel,  452. 

Dor,  446. 

Dorcas,  life  at  Joppa,  342  ;  tomb  of,  346. 

Doric  architecture,  520. 

Dothan,  ruins  of.  441. 

Doxology,  sung  in  a  Spanish  convent,  58. 

Dragoman,  the  selection  of  a,  428. 

Dramatic  art,  the  cradle  of,  520. 

Draught  of  fishes,  the  miraculous,  468. 

Dresden,  Raphael's  Madonna  in,  186. 

Dress,  Italian  love  of,  200. 

Drew,  Samuel,  23. 


586 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Dried  Fountain,  the,  548. 

Drissian  line  of  descent  from  Mohammed,  98. 

Dromedaries,  222. 

Drugs,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

Drums,  use  of,  by  howling  dervishes,  329. 

Drunkenness,  in  Spain,  23,  69  ;  absence  of,  in 
Tangier,  93  ;  among  the  French  of  Algeria, 
120,  121 ;  of  hasheesh,  218;  among  the 
Copts,  331. 

Druses,  the,  477,  478 ;  outrages  of,  in  Damas- 
cus, 488. 

Dry  atmosphere,  preservative  action  of  a,  231. 

Ducie,  Lord,  kills  a  crocodile,  273. 

Ducks,  on  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  409; 
at  Lake  Huleh,  472. 

Durazzo,  captured  by  Venice,  158. 

Dutch,  in  Smyrna,  506. 

Dutch  Jews,  in  Tiberias,  465. 

Dutch  school  of  painting,  23. 

Dyes,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

Earlham  College,  Ind.,  represented  on  Mars' 
Hill,  521. 

Earrings,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Earthenware  Castle,  the,  532. 

Earthquake,  effect  on  the  statue  of  Memnon, 
297;  destruction  of  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes 
by  an,  499. 

Earthquakes,  at  Vesuvius,  195,  196;  hypoth- 
esis concerning,  196  ;  effect  on  Pompeii, 
197;  resistance  of  the  Pyramids  to,  231  ;  rav- 
ages of,  at  Karnak,  279, 282 ;  effect  in  Egypt, 
288;  at  the  Crucifixion,  394;  around  the 
Sea  of  Galilee,  465 ;  in  Smyrna,  508  ;  pre- 
cautions against,  at  Ephesus,  512  ;  marks 
on  the  walls  of  Stamboul,  539. 

East,  the  vastness  of  the,  325. 

Easter  Sunday,  the  commencement  of  the 
bullfight  season,  74. 

Ebal,  Mount,  435-437. 

Ebony  bludgeons,  trade  in,  at  Assouan,  305. 

Ecce  Homo  Arch,  the,  385. 

Ecclesiastical  intolerance  in  Spain,  10. 

Ecclesiastical  law,  teaching,  in  Cairo,  326. 

Ecclesiastical  legends,  the  most  incrediole  of, 

Echoes,  on  Ebal  and  Gerizim,  437. 

Edfoo,  temple  at,  303. 

Education,  at  San  Sebastian,  12;  at  Madrid, 
28 ;  in  Tangier,  86  ;  perils  of,  in  Morocco, 
98  ;  in  Italy,  202  ;  in  Egypt,  207,  264,  325, 
326,  332,  333;  at  Jaffa,  344;  in  Syria,  419; 
at  Protestant  mission  in  Jerusalem,  422  ; 
fostered  by  Saladin,  487;  at  Beirut,  492, 
495,  496  ;  in  Smyrna,  507  ;  at  Athens,  522 ; 
in  Constantinople,  550,  554,  555. 

Edward  IV,  of  England,  repairs  church  at 
Bethlehem,  308. 

Edwards,  Amelia  B.,  omission  by,  264;  on 
ophthalmia  in  Egypt,  265 ;  on  the  stars  in 
Egyptian  skies,  31 5. 

Eggs,  hatching  ostrich,  220. 

Egypt,  embarkation  for,  205;  first  glimpse  of, 
206 ;  Herodotus  on,  206,  207,  238 ;  Gen. 
Grant's  opinion  of,  207;  learning  and  the 
arts,  207  ;  the  most  ancient  mosque  in,  214; 
taxation,  215;  the  Khedive,  215,  216; 
"Yankee  Doodle"  in,  216;  lunatics,  216- 
219;  use  of  opium,  217;  the  capital  of 
Lower,  219;  residence  of  Jacob's  family, 
219  ;  the  Oxford  of  Old,  219;  monumental 
customs,  230,  231;  debt  to  the  Nile,  238; 
Zincke  on,  239 ;  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  239 ; 
influence  of  the  Nile  on  intellectual  char- 


acter, 240;  corn  in,  240;  research  in  Coptic 
convents  of,  248;  vandals  in,  249;  the-  most 
instructive  tomb  in,  249  ;  death-scenes,  250; 
curious  funeral  customs  in,  251,  252;  sup- 
posed painting  of  the  arrival  of  Joseph's 
brethren  in,  255;  fascination  of  the  girls  of, 
256;  ophthalmia  in,  264,  265;  preservation 
of  remains  in,  267,  278 ;  Indian  Sepoys  in, 
268  ;  worship  of  the  sacred  cow,  268 ;  the 
silence  of,  274;  extension  of,  276;  under 
Amenophis  I,  276;  introduction  of  the 
horse  into,  276;  last  warrior  king  of,  276; 
demand  for  antiquities  in,  278 ;  a  land  of 
past  history,  288  ;  skill  of  architects  in,  288  ; 
deceptive  appearance  of  age  in  women  of, 
299,300;  the  stones  of,  302  ;  the  conservator 
of  the  monuments  of,  303;  extreme  southern 
boundary  of,  304;  climate,  306;  the  best 
view  in,  309;  Christianity  in,  309,  330-333  ; 
robbery  in,  311,312;  an  invalid  resort,  316; 
the  glory  of,  in  Asia,  319;  complexity  of  its 
mythology,  320  ;  Ethiopian  conquest,  321  ; 
symbolic  mythology,  321,  322  ;  first  historic 
king,  322;  a  long  stage  of  unieccrded 
development,  322  ;  Mohammedanism, 
323-333 ;  Arab  conquest,  330 ;  French  in- 
habitants, 332;  number  of  Copts.  332; 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  332,  333;  Greek 
Church,  332,  333;  Protestant  mission  in, 
332,  333 ;  Sabbath  schools,  333 ;  servants 
in,  334 ;  French  evacuation  of,  336 : 


palm-trees,  348,  442;  flight  of  the  Holy 
Family  to,  349,  452;  the  skies  of,  396; 
starving  colony  removed  from  Jaffa  to, 
422 ;  caravan  route  from  Jerusalem  to, 
444;  cries  of  children  in,  458;  ancient 
caravan  route  from  Damascus  to,  471  ; 
Roman  road  from  Damascus  to,  479;  a 
rival  of  Greece  in  the  manufacture  of  antiq- 
uities, 516;  ruins  of,  compared  with  those 
of  Greece,  520;  antiquities  of,  in  Athens, 
522;  hurried  travel  in,  confusing,  530; 
reasons  for  the  peculiarities  of  its  arch- 
itecture, 538. 

"  Egypt  and  the  Holy  Land,"  quoted,  406. 

Egyptian  antiquities,  Dr.   Grant's  collection 

of,  334- 

Egyptian  Mary,  Chapel  of  the,  390. 
Egyptians,  belief  in  the  immortality  of   the 

soul,  231 ;  ignorance  of  the  source  of  the 

Nile,  310 ;  colonization  of  Cyprus,  498  ;  in 

Constantinople,  547. 

Egyptology,  22q;  Dr.  Grant's  studies  in,  334. 
Eighth  wonder  of  the  world,  the,  33. 
El-Aksa,  the  Mosque,  381. 
Elba,  embarkation  of  Napoleon  for,  138. 
El-Bireh,  430. 

El-Burak,  Mohammed's  steed,  381. 
Eleanor,  Queen,  14. 

Eleazar,  leader  of  fanatics  at  Jerusalem,  355. 
Electric  fish,  at  Naples,  190. 
Electricity,  alleged  emission  of,  by  howling 

dervishes,  330. 
Elephant  and  bull  fight,  78. 
Elephantine,  the  island  of,  304-306,  310,  311. 
Elephants'  tusks,  trade  in,  263,  305. 
Eleusis,  Bay  of,  524. 
Elgin  Marbles,  the,  521- 
El-Haram,  Temple,  translation  of  Mohammed 

to  Jerusalem  from,  378. 
Elj,  residence  of,  434. 
Eliezer  of  Damascus,  480. 


INDEX. 


587 


Elijah,  alleged  praying-spot  of,  381;  smiting 
the  waters,  410;  at  Damascus,  480. 

Elim,  the  Israelites'  rest  at,  492. 

Elimelech,  Turkish  views  on  Ruth's  connec- 
tion with,  562. 

Eliot,  George,  on  the  vaniiy  of  doctors  of 
divinity,  439. 

Eliot,  Geii.,  monument  to,  at  Gibraltar,  111. 

Elisha,  passage  over  Jordan,  410;  interview 
with  Naaman,  413,  480;  fate  of  children  who 
mocked,  430;  residence  at  Dothan,  441; 
Benhadad's  attempt  to  capture,  441 ;  tomb, 
441  ;  raises  the  child  of  the  Shunammite 
woman,  443  ;  at  Damascus,  480. 

Elocution,  study  of,  in  Cairo,  326. 

Eloquence,  influence  of  Florence  on,  167. 

Elton,  Lake,  relative  saltness  of,  409. 

Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo,  autograph  of,  at 
Thebes,  300. 

Emmaus,  reputed  sites  of,  349,  351. 

Encyclopedic  City,  the,  186. 

Endor,  the  site  of,  445,  446;  the  Witch  of, 
446;  mountain  of,  455. 

Eneas,  healed  by  Peter  at  Lydda,  347. 

Engedi,  the  wilderness  of,  405. 

Engineering,  feats  of,  13,  133,  135,  192,  345! 
study  of,  in  Egypt,  240. 

England,  pastoral  scenes  of,  i ;  consumption 
of  Bordeaux  wines,  2;  refuge  of  Spanish 
political  offenders,  25  ;  interests  in  Morocco, 
100;  her  long  arm,  100  ;  world-wide  power, 
103,  115,  116;  value  of  Gibraltar  to,  114,  115; 
naval  action  at  Navarino,  205  ;  gift  to,  and 
removal  to,  of  Cleopatra's  Needle,  208 ; 
statue  of  Rameses  II  presented  to,  244; 
war  in  the  Soudan,  263  ;  interest  in  the  Suez 
Canal,  336,  337?  saving  in  distance  to  Bom- 
bay from,  by  the  Suez  Canal,  338 ;  sup- 
ports Protestant  bishopric  at  Jerusalem, 
421;  possession  of  Cyprus,  498  ;  represented 
on  Mars'  Hill,  521. 

English,  at  Gibraltar,  113!  in  Smyrna,  506; 
in  Constantinople,  547  ;  at  Robert  College, 

English  architecture,  m. 

English  Hospital  at  Jaffa,  343. 

English  language,  changes  in  the,  530. 

Englishman,  a  disputatious,  266. 

Engravers,  employment  of,  at  Thebes,  276. 

"  Enterprise,"  the,  104. 

Ephesians,  the  Epistle  to  the,  514. 

Ephesus,  503;  compared  with  Athens,  509; 
a  cradle  of  mythology,  509;  distance  from 
Smyrna,  509;  compared  with  Jerusalem, 
509  ;  importance  and  history  of,  509-514  ;  an 
authority  on  the  ancient  history  of,  510; 
climate,  510;  temples  of,  510-512;  practice 
of  magic  in,  512;  reputed  presence  of  John 
the  Baptist  at,  512;  the  riot  in,  512,  513; 
Paul  at,  512-514 ;  a  famous  trade  111,513; 
the  first  bishop  of,  513 ;  St.  John's  residence 
in,  513  ;  the  legend  of  the  Seven  Sleepers, 
513;  the  town-clerk  of,  513;  Virgin  Mary's 
residence  in,  513;  the  church  at,  513,  514! 
influence  on  St.  Paul's  mind,  514;  contri- 
butions to  Santa  Sophia,  540. 

Ephraim,  the  mother  of.  219 ;  unsuccessful 
against  the  Canaanites  at  Gezer,  348. 

Ephrath,  Rachel's  journey  from  Bethel  to, 
397. 

Epitaphs,  in  the  National  Museum,  Naples, 
189. 

Epochs,  Mohammed's  calendar  of,  381. 

Erastus,  sent  into  Macedonia,  513. 


Esconal,  the,  30-34;  beggars  in,  33;  com- 
pared with  the  mosque  at  Cordova,  40; 
built  by  Philip  II,  72. 

Esdiaelon,  the  plain  of.  441,  442  ;  expulsion  of 
the  Bedouins  from,  442;  as  a  honey-field,  444. 

Esneh,  316. 

Ksijuiline  Hill,  177. 

Esther,  qi. 

Eternal  City,  the,  174. 

Eternity,  a  type  of,  113,  226. 

Ethiopia,  alleged  course  of  the  Nile  through, 
310;  a  former  king  of,  321;  conquest  of 
Kgypt  by,  321. 

Ethiopians,  omnivorous  chancier  of.  261. 

Etiquette,  in  Morocco,  09;  Italian  love  for, 
200;  Turkish,  560-563. 

Etruscan  Museum,  Florence,  169. 

Etruscan  ruins,  171. 

Etruscans,  influence  of,  on  civilization,  169. 

Eucalyptus,  anti-malarial  effect  of,  65;  culti- 
vation of,  121,  139. 

Euclid,  figure  of,  in  Florence  cathedral,  170. 

Eugenie,  Empress,  fondne*s  for  Biarritz,  9; 
at  opening  of  Suez  Canal,  215. 

Eunuchs,  in  Constantinople,  561,  562. 

Euphrates,  River,  highway  of  Indian  com- 
merce, 158;  Abraham's  boundary,  241. 

Euripides  statue  of,  in  Napks,  189;  works 
of,  520. 

Euroclydon,  206. 

Europa  Point,  no,  in,  115. 

Europe,  the  eye  of,  100;  relations  of  Gibral- 
tar to,  104;  the  oldest  monarchy  in,  140; 
fresco  of,  at  Milan,  154 ;  Mohammedanism 
unsuccessful  against,  325;  emigration  of 
Jews  to  Tiberias  from,  465  :  the  most  inter- 
esting country  of,  515!  Castle  of,  532; 
boundary  between  Asia  and,  535;  the 
Sweet  Waters  of,  561. 

European  Poplar,  the  village  of  the,  548. 

Euscara,  the  Basque  language,  12. 

Euthymius.  St.,  founder  of  the  convent  of 
Mar  Saba,  403. 

Eutropius,  mission  of,  to  Lycopolis,  264. 

Eutychians,  the,  331. 

Euxine,  the,  535  ;  Byron  on  the,  548. 

Evangelical  Church  of  Italy,  proposed,  204. 

Eve,  the  creation  of,  169. 

Everlasting  Life,  origin  of  the  symbol  of  the 
waters  of,  455. 

Excitability,  Italian  characteristic.  200,  201. 

Exciusiveness,  St.  Peter  warned  against,  343. 

Exodus  the,  282. 

Exposition,  at  Paris,  the,  573. 

Extortion,  in  Morocco,  98. 

Ezbekiyeh,  the,  212. 

Ezekiel,  on  the  prosperity  of  Damascus,  480. 

Ezra,  records  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple, 
342- 

Faith,  an  example  of,  458  ;  a  curious  mixture 
of  works  and,  492. 

Faith-cure,  in  Algiers,  125  ;  in  a  Jerusalem 
colony,  425  ;  a  Bedouin  case,  492. 

False  Pyramid,  the,  250. 

Family  scandals,  how  avoided  in  Morocco, 
98,  99. 

Fanaticism,  among  Mohammedans,  99,  488  ; 
in  Egypt.  326;  a  mixture  of  formalism  and, 
330;  among  Jews  of  Jerusalem.  418;  a 
dangerous  spirit  of,  425  ;  in  Damascus,  488. 

Fanatics,  revolt  of  the,  355. 

Fans,  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 

Farm  Village,  the,  548. 


588 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Farshoot,  sheep  and  dogs  at,  266. 

Fasts,  incredible  stories  of,  413 ;  among 
Abyssinian  Christians,  420,  421. 

Fatalism,  in  Italy,  200;  Mohammedan,  323, 
325  ;  in  trade,  484. 

Father  Abraham,  278. 

Fa'ther  of  History,  the,  219,  221. 

Father  Tiber,  177. 

Fatimites,  Hakem,  Caliph  of  the,  477. 

Fayoum,  the,  274. 

Fayum,  Presbyterian  mission  in,  332. 

Feathers,  trade  in,  at  Asyoot,  263. 

Fellaheen,  the,  274,  287. 

Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  relic  of,  20 ;  resi- 
dence in  the  Alhambra,  56 ;  effigies  and 
sepulchers  of,  61,  62. 

Ferdinand  of  Aragon,  marriage  of,  55. 

Ferdinand  I,  plot  to  steal  the  Holy  Sepul- 
cher,  172. 

Ferguson,  Adam,  describes  the  seizure  of  the 
Christian  church  in  Damascus,  484,  487  ; 
on  the  mosque  of  Santa  Sophia,  543. 

Fevers,  of  Cyprus,  the,  497,  498. 

Fez,  Morocco,  55,  93,  94. 

Fez,  the  Turkish,  483  ;  the  Greek,  528. 

Fiction,  Italian  fondness  for,  202. 

Field,  David  D.,  traveling  in  Egypt,  316. 

Field  of   Blood,  supposed  site  of  the,  361. 

Fiesole,  171  ;  construction  of  the  road  to,  172. 

Fig-culture,  in  Palestine,  350 ;  in  Samaria, 
442  ;  in  Asia  Minor,  509. 

Figs,  of  Mar  Saba,  404  ;  Smyrna,  505. 

Fig  Spring,  471. 

Fig-trees,  at  Jerusalem,  361,  366  ;  at  Bethany, 
414;  at  Shechem,  436;  in  Nazareth,  453. 

Fig  Village,  the,  548. 

Fillmore,  Millard,  visit  to  Gibraltar,  105. 

Filth,  a  center  of,  256  ;  among  Jews  of  Jeru- 
salem, 418. 

Finding  of  the  Cross,  Chapel  of  the,  394. 

Firs,  Solomon's  purchase  of,  342. 

First  Cataract  of  the  Nile,  the,  scarcity  of 
crocodiles  below,  273  ;  the  trip  to  the,  304, 
306,  309-312  ;  dangers  of  the,  311. 

Fish,  of  the  Nile,  250 ;  in  the  Dead  Sea,  409  ; 
in  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  468. 

Fishermen  on  the  Nile,  250. 

Fishes,  the  miraculous  draught  of,  468. 

Five  thousand,  miracle  of  feeding  the,  461. 

"  Flawless  Lyric,"  the,  314. 

Flemish  school  of  painting,  23. 

Fliedner,  Rev.  Fritz,  Lutheran  minister  in 
Madrid,  28. 

Florence,  167-173,  275 ;  famous  artists  and 
scientists,  167  ;  situation,  168 ;  cathedral, 
169,  170;  church  of  Santa  Croce,  170  ;  gal- 
leries and  palaces,  171  ;  facilities  for  study 
of  art,  173. 

Florida,  the  alligator  and  crocodile  in,  273. 

Floyd,  Rollo,  survivor  of  American  colony  in 
Palestine,  422. 

Flute,  use  of  the,  by  howling  dervishes,  329. 

Folkestone,  i. 

Fonqueville,  on  the  approach  to  Constanti- 
nople, 532. 

Foot,  a  much-kissed,  182 ;  oriental  custom  of 
kissing  the,  218. 

Ford,  Richard,  residence  in,  and  description 
of,  the  Alhambra,  57. 

Forest  of  magnificent  columns,  a,  279. 

Forest  of  Philosophers,  the,  507. 

Forests,  improvident  waste  of,  19  ;  effect  of 
destruction  of,  177. 

Forge  of  Vulcan,  the,  194. 


Formalism,  a  mixture  of  fanaticism  and,  330. 

"  Former  rain,  the,"  429. 

Fort  Pharos,  207. 

Forty-days'  fast,  the  scene  of  Christ's,  413. 

Forum,  the,  grandeur  of,  178. 

Fossils,  at  Gibraltar,  109. 

Foucauld,  Dr.,  explorer  of  Morocco,  97. 

Foundling  asylums  in  Spain,  69. 

Foundling  Hospitals,  necessity  of,  urged  by 
San  Juan  de  Dios,  58. 

Fountain,  at  the  tomb  of  Dorcas,  345,  346;  of 
Gideon,  443;  of  the  Virgin,  361,  362. 

Fourth  New  York  Cavalry,  Gen.  Di  Cesnola's 
service  in  the,  499. 

Fowler,  Rev.  Bishop  Charles  H.,  in  Cairo.335. 

France,  an  anniversary  in,  i  ;  the  coup  d'etat 
in,  2  ;  aid  to  the  United  States,  2,  3  ;  scen- 
ery of,  3  ;  boundary  between  Spain  and,  9 ; 
ravaged  by  the  Vandals,  52 ;  claim  on 
throne  of  Spain,  no;  efforts  to  capture 
Gibraltar,  no;  conquers  Algeria,  128,  133; 
boundary  between  Sardinia  and,  139  ;  naval 
action  at  Navarino,  205  ;  interest  in  the  Suez 
Canal,  336  ;  manufacture  of  spurious  coins 
and  gems  in,  516. 

Franciscan  monks,  monastery  at  Ramleh, 
348  ;  control  the  site  of  Gethsemane,  362  ; 
monastery  in  Jerusalem,  421. 

Franconia  Notch,  the  Old  Man  of  the  Moun- 
tain in,  compared  with  the  Sphinx,  235. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  mission  to  France,  2,  3. 

Franks,  expelled  from  Palestine,  487. 

Frank  Street,  Smyrna,  505. 

Franz  Josef,  the  emperor,  573. 

Fraudulent  antiquities,  trade  in,  516,  519. 

Free  Church,  work  in  Italy,  204. 

Freedom  of  the  press,  in  Italy,  202. 

Freethinkers,  in  Italy,  202. 

French,  destruction  of  part  of  the  Alhambra, 
56;  in  Algeria,  120  j  warwith  the  Kabyles, 
133 ;  compared  with  Italians,  200 ;  in 
Egypt,  332;  evacuation  of  Egypt,  336; 
roadbuilding  of  the,  133,  491  ;  occupation  of 
Damascus,  491  ;  defeat  of  Abd-el-Kader 
491  ;  in  Smyrna,  506 ;  in  Constantinople, 
538,  547  ;  at  Robert  College,  555. 

French  school  of  painting,  23. 

Frescoes  of  Pompeii,  196-198. 

Friars,  in  Constantinople,  547. 

Frugality,  taught  by  Mohammed,  323. 

Fruits,  immense,  in  Jaffa,  344. 

Funeral  customs,  on  the  Nile,  251,  252 ; 
among  Mohammedans,  434. 

Funerals,  in  Genoa,  145,  146;  in  Egypt,  208, 
2ii  ;  barbarities  at  Abyssinian,  421. 

Gabriel,  his  office  at  the  last  judgment,  362  ; 
stops  the  devil  from  stealing  the  golden 
nails,  381  ;  deters  the  Holy  Rock  from  fol- 
lowing Mohammed  to  heaven,  381  ;  the  col- 
umn of,  454  ;  Mohammedan  archangel,  543. 

Galata,  536  ;  the  bridge  to,  544,  547 ;  signifi- 
cance of  the  name,  548. 

Galilee,  boundary  between  Samaria  and,  441  ; 
a  favored  city  of,  452 ;  mountains  of,  461  ; 
the  chief  city  of,  465. 

Galileo,  statue  at  Milan,  154  ;  at  Venice.  167; 
mementoes  in  Florence,  167;  tomb  of,  170; 
relics  of,  172  ;  visit  of  Milton  to,  172. 

Galileo's  Tower,  172. 

Galls,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

Gambetta,  grave  of,  139. 

Gambling,  at  Monte  Carlo,  140-142  ;  a  Scotch 
minister's  experience,  141. 


INDEX. 


589 


Gami-el-Azhar,  Mosque  of,  325. 

Garden  of  Gethsemane.     See  GETHSEMANE. 

"  Garden  of  the  Lord,"  a,  410. 

Garibaldi,  Giuseppe,  146  ;  entry  into  Naples, 
192. 

Gastronomical  paradise,  a,  4  ;. 

Gates,  of  Hebron,  373  ;  of  Herod,  374  ;  of  the 
Columns,  373,  374  I  of  the  Kings,  288-292  ; 
of  the  Prophet  David,  374 ;  of  the  Tribes, 
374 ;  of  the  Western  Africans,  374 ;  St. 
Stephen's,  374,  382,  414 ;  the  Jaffa,  352, 
373. 

Gain,  view  of,  from  Tower  of  Ramleh,  347. 

Gaudo,  lighthouse  at,  206. 

Gauls,  threatened  attack  on  Rome,  560. 

Gautier,  Theophile,  on  the  approach  to  Con- 
stantinople, 535. 

Gavazzi,  Alessandro,  death  of,  204. 

Gave,  valley  of  the,  8. 

Gebel-Aboofayda,  261. 

Gebel  et  Tayr,  251. 

Geese,  on  the  Nile,  250. 

Gehenna,  361. 

Gems,  from  Pompeii,  197 ;  Egyptian,  320, 
321  ;  trade  in  spurious,  in  Athens,  516 ;  col- 
lections of,  at  Constantinople,  540,  557. 

Generalife,  the,  58. 

"  Genesis,"  the  book  of,  mention  of  the  Nile, 
241  ;  confirmed,  282 ;  authenticity  of,  397  ; 
quoted,  397,  480. 

Geneva,  scene  of  Calvin's  work,  8. 

Geneva,  Lake,  compared  with  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  462. 

Gennesaret,  Lake  of.     See  SEA  OF  GALILEE. 

Genoa,  143-146 ;  share  in  Columbus's  glory, 
143 ;  dispute  between  the  Viturii  and,  144. 

Geography,  allegorical  figure  on  Columbus's 
statue,  143. 

Geology,  of  Gibraltar,  109  ;  fine  point  in,  306. 

George  I,  disregard  for  Gibraltar,  no. 

George,  St.,  tomb  of,  489;  chapel  of,  on 
Lykabettos,  522. 

Georgia,  the  white  slaves  of,  561. 

Georg  ans,  ownership  of  the  Stone  of  Anoint- 
ing, 390  ;  in  Constantinople,  547. 

"  Georgics,"  composition  of  the,  192. 

Gerizim,  435. 

Gerizim,  Mount,  435-437  ;  Samaritan  pilgrim- 
ages to,  440. 

German,  a  disputatious,  266. 

German  Jews,  appellation  of,  465. 

German  orphanages  in  Jerusalem,  422. 

German  school  of  painting,  23. 

German  Temple,  the  sect  of  the,  422. 

Germans,  occupation  of  Naples,  191 ;  in 
Constantinople,  538,  547 ;  at  Robert  Col- 
lege, 555- 

Germany,  in  alliance  against  Spam,  no;  cor- 
onation of  emperors  of,  154 ;  Damascus 
steel  from,  483  ;  mission  work  in  Syria,  496. 

Geronimo,  tomb  of,  122. 

Gesticulations  of  Italians,  200,  201. 

Gethsemane,  disputed  church  of,  365  ;  Garden 
of,  362,  365,  370,  382  ;  picture  of  the  St. 
Veronica  miracle  in  the,  386. 

Gezer,  ruins  of,  348. 

Gezireh,  palace  of,  215. 

Giant's  Grave,  the,  548. 

Giant's  Mountain,  548. 


40. 


Giants,  a  city  of,  275. 
Gibbon,  Edward,  description  of  Seville, 
Gibeah,  370,  429. 
Gibeon,  the  miracle  of  the  sun's  standing  on, 
348,  349  ;  the  plain  of,  350. 


Gibraltar,  landing  of  Taric  near,  55  ;  the  eye 
of  Europe,  100 ;  position,  scenery,  impor- 
tance, commerce,  history,  etc.,  103-116; 
compared  with  the  North  Cape,  112,  113; 
the  sunset  gun  at,  116;  departure  from, 
116;  the  Libyan  Mountains  compared  to, 
293  ;  Patmos  likened  to,  502. 

Gibraltar,  Bay  of,  in. 

Gjbraltar,  Rock  of,  81. 

Gibraltar,  Straits  of,  81,  103.  112,  114. 

Giddiness,  cause  of,  226 ;  in  ascent  of  the 
Great  Pyramid,  237. 

Gideon,  the  Fountain  of,  443  ;  overthrow  of 
the  Midianites  by,  444. 

Gift  of  the  Nile,  the,  238. 

Gihon,  Pool  of,  358,  361,  417 ;  valley  of,  358, 
361,  396. 

Guboa,  mountain  of,  446. 

Gilead,  mountains  of,  370,  436. 

Gilgal,  site  of,  413. 

Gilman,  Henry,  U.  S.  consul  at  Jerusalem, 
242  ;  opinion  of  ihe  Tower  of  David,  417. 

Giotto,  painter,  167  ;  architect  of  Florence 
cathedral,  169  ;  bust  of,  169. 

Gizeh,  discovery  of  Sphinxes  at,  248. 

Gladiatorial  combats,  Titus's,  at  Banias,  474. 

Gladstone,  \V.  E.,  on  Dante,  167;  popularity 
in  Italy,  187 ;  fondness  for  Naples,  187  ;  on 
the  Italian  nation,  201. 

Glasses,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Gloria  in  Excelsis,  the  church  of,  400. 

Goats,  in  Palestine,  350. 

Gobat,  Dr.,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  421,  451. 

God,  Mohammed's  idea  of,  323  ;  the  great  and 
unspeakable  name  of,  381;  the  Unity  of,  550. 

Goddess  of  Beauty,  the  Egyptian,  267. 

Gog,  battle  with  Magog,  442. 

Gold,  trade  in,  in  the  Soudan,  90  ;  use  of,  in 
Egypt,  321- 

"  Golden  Book,"  the,  172. 

Golden  calf,  Jeroboam's,  at  Bethel,  430. 

Golden  Fleece,  scene  of  Jason's  voyage  for 
the,  548. 

Golden  Gate,  the,  374. 

Golden  Horn,  the,  535,  536,  539  ;  an  excursion 
on,  549  ;  magnificent  prospects  of,  557. 

(iolden  nails,  Mohammed's,  381. 

Golgotha,  the  disputed  site  of,  386,  389. 

Gomorrah,  popular  beliefs  concerning  the  de- 
struction of,  405,  410. 

Gondolas,  Venetian,  158,  161. 

Good  Samaritan,  traditional  scene  of  the  par- 
able of  the,  414. 

Goornah,  Temple  of,  284. 

Gordon,  Dr.,  James  M.,  Treasurer  of  the 
American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  n. 

Gordon,  Gen.  C.  G.,  killed  at  Khartoom,  238. 

Gortchakof,  Prince,  25. 

Gospels,  Coptic  preservation  of  the,  331 ;  as  a 

Suide-book  on  the  shores  of  Galilee,  471. 
othic  Architecture  in  Spain,"  35. 

Goths,  influence  on  Toledo,  34  ;  capture  Cor- 
dova, 36  ;  occupation  of  Seville,  43  ;  admix- 
ture in  Spanish  population,  66  ;  occupation 
of  Naples,  191. 

Grace,  a  triumph  of,  466. 

Grace  after  meat,  in  Egypt,  301. 

Graces,  Asylum  of  the  Muses  and,  507. 

Grammar,  teaching  the,  in  Egypt,  326. 

Granada,  approaches  to,  50,  51  ;  conquest  of, 
55  ;  restriction  of  the  Moors  to,  55  ;  objects 
of  interest,  58 ;  scenery  around,  58  ;  beggars 
in,  61  ;  picturesqueness,  112. 

Grand  Canal,  Venice,  161,  166. 


59° 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Grand  Circus,  Rome,  178. 

Granite,  distinguished  from  syenite,  306. 

Grant,  Dr.  J.  S.,  chief  physician  in  Cairo, 
318;  the  helpful  acquaintance  of,  334  ;  a 
reception  at  the  house  of,  334. 

Grant.  Gen.  U.  S.,  visit  to  Gibraltar,  105; 
opinion  of  Egypt,  207  ;  on  the  Baltic,  236. 

Great  Agora,  the,  510. 

Great  American  Combination  Baseball  Club, 
the,  228. 

Great  Bear,  Egyptian  aspect  of,  315. 

Great  Britain,  capture  of  Gibraltar  by,  no; 
area  and  population  of  European  depend- 
encies, 115;  abolishes  slavery  in  Algiers, 
128;  entertainment  by  her  consul  at  Thebes, 
300,301;  occupation  of  Egypt,  305  ;  mission 
wor.i  in  Syria.  495 ;  possession  of  Cyprus, 
498.  See  also  ENGLAND. 

Great  Mosque  of  Damascus,  the,  484. 

Great  Pyramid  (see  also  CHEOPS,  PYRAMID 
OF),  222,  225-231,  236 ;  the  scene  from,  479. 

Great  St.  Bernard,  view  of,  from  Milan  cathe- 
dral, 153. 

Great  Salt  Lake,  the  waters  of,  406. 

Great  Temple  at  Karnak,  280 ;  the  avenue  to 
the,  232. 

Grecian  history,  a  living  form,  523. 

Grecian  mythology,  compared  with  Egyptian, 
320. 

Greece,  influence  in  Seville,  43 ;  Venetian 
conquest  of  part  of,  158  ;  art  of,  167  ;  the 
coast,  205,  206  ;  independence,  206  ;  statues 
of  philosophers  of,  248  ;  memories  of  an- 
cient, 503  ;  the  interest  of,  515  ;  war  of  in- 
dependence, 516;  a  rival  of  Egypt  in  the 
manufacture  of  antiquities,  516  ;  palace  of 
the  king,  519;  ruins  of,  compared  with  those 
of  Egypt,  520 ;  explorations  in,  522  ;  wars 
with  Persia,  527  ;  treating  in,  529  ;  children 
of,  529;  language,  530  ;  desirability  of  travel 
in,  530  ;  secret  of  her  ancient  glory,  530  ; 
climate,  531  ;  Armenian  churches  in,  549. 

Greek  alphabet,  an  addition  of  four  letters 
to  the,  500. 

Greek  Archipelago,  captured  by  Venice,  158. 

Greek  architecture,  compared  with  Moorish, 
51- 

Greek  art,  an  older  than,  264. 

Greek  Church,  the,  miracles  in,  8  ;  services 
of,  331,  519  ;  in  Egypt,  332,  333 ;  compared 
with  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  333 ; 
relations  of  Russian  National  Church  with, 
348  ;  claim  regarding  Gethsemane,  365  ; 
claim  the  oldest  Christian  church  in  the 
world,  365  ;  at  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  390 ; 
ownership  of  the  Stone  of  Anointing,  390  ; 
chapel  of  St.  Longinus,  394 ;  worship  in 
the  Angel's  Chapel  and  Chapel  of  the  Sep- 
ulcher, 394 ;  convent  at  Bethlehem,  398  ; 
pilgrims  of,  413,  531  ;  strength  in  Syria,  419  ; 
undesirability  of  its  control  of  Jerusalem, 
425  ;  trouble  in,  at  Nain,  445  ;  patriarch  of, 
at  Constantinople,  549;  ignorance  of  priests, 
550  ;  jealousy  of  Protestantism,  555. 

Greek  civilization,  lights  on  ancient,  189. 

Greek  fire,  used  at  siege  of  Constantinople, 
536. 

Greek  monks,  interest  in  the  island  of  Pat- 
mos,  502. 

Greek  newspapers,  516. 

Greeks,  admixture  in  Spanish  population,  66  ; 
in  Gibraltar,  107,  113  ;  occupation  of  Naples, 
191  ;  battle-fields  of,  in  Egypt,  288  ;  igno- 
rance of  source  of  the  Nile,  310  ;  in  Presby- 


terian mission  schools  of  Egypt,  332  ;  at 
Miss  Mangan's  mission  at  Jaffa,  343  ;  in 
Nazareth,  453;  employment  of  artists  in 
decorating  Great  Mosque  at  Damascus, 
487  ;  colonization  of  Cyprus,  498  ;  nav.il 
history,  503  ;  in  Smyrna,  506,  507  ;  claim 
St.  John  s  tomb,  513  ;  independence,  528  ; 
character,  528-530 ;  commercial  morality, 
529  ;  influence  of  scenery  on,  531  ;  in  Con- 
stantinople, 547;  commercial  superiority 
of  Armenians  over,  549 ;  at  Robert  Col- 
'ege,  554. 

Greeley,  Horace,  famous  ride  of,  236. 

Gregory  the  Great,  method  of  checking  the 
plague,  185. 

Grenfell,  Maj.-Gen.  Sir  Francis,  on  Dr.  Pe- 
trie.  335- 

Grief,  the  Way  of,  382,  385,  386. 

Grimaldi,  the  house  of,  140. 

Grotte  de  la  Vierge,  7. 

Grotte  de  Massavielle,  7. 

Grotto  of  the  Seven  Sleepers,  the,  513. 

Grotto  of  the  Shepherds,  the,  400. 

Guadalquiver,  River,  77. 

Guadarrama  Mountains,  the,  30. 

Guardias  Civiles,  70. 

Guide,  an  invaluable,  215. 

Guides,  tricks  of,  346. 

Guipuzcoa,  province  of,  n. 

Gulick,  Rev.  William  H.,  our  guide  at  San 
Sebastian,  n. 

Gum-arabic,  trade  in,  at  Asyoot,  263. 

Gums,  trade  in,  at  Assouan,  305. 

Gun,  a  venerable,  400. 

Guy  de  Lusignan,  captured  by  Saladin,  487. 

Gymnasium,  of  Ephesus,  the,  510. 

Gymnast,  a  wonderful,  301. 

Gypsies,  near  Granada,  61  ;  around  Smyrna, 
506. 

"Hadji!"  458. 

Hadrian,  Emperor,  birthplace,  49  ;  the  Os- 
tentatious, 177;  the  statue  of  Memnon  and, 
298  ;  rebuilds  Jerusalem,  356;  Arch  of  the 
time  of,  in  Jerusalem,  385 ;  Arch  of,  in 
Athens,  519 ;  the  city  of,  519 ;  completes 
the  Olympieum,  519;  a  delayed  project  of 
the  time  of,  524. 

Hagar  s-Salam,  250. 

Haifa,  the  harbor  of,  341. 

Hair-brushing  by  machinery  in  Wolsey's  pal 
ace,  165. 

Hairpins,  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 

Hakem,  founder  of  the  Druses,  477. 

Halicarnassus,  503. 

Hall  of  Ambassadors,  Madrid,  20;  Alham- 
bra,  52. 

Hall  of  Columns,  at  Esneh,  316. 

Hall  of  the  Obelisks,  Karnak,  280. 

Hamburg,   the  stock-exchange  of,  211. 

Hamlin,  Dr. Cyrus,  opens  Robert  College,  554. 

Hamor,  governor  of  Shechem,  438. 

Hand  and  the  key.  the,  52. 

Handkerchief,  miracle  of  St.  Veronica's,  386. 

Hannah,  scene  of  her  visits  to  Samuel,  434. 

Hannibal,  509. 

Hapsburg,  the  house  of,  573. 

Haram,  Mohammedan  burials  on  the,  362. 

Haram,  the  Temple  E1-,  translation  of  Mo- 
hammed to  Jerusalem  from,  378. 

Haram  Esh-Sherif,  the,  377,  381,  382. 

Harems,  Turkish,  561. 

Harman,  Prof.  Henry  M.,  on  swimming  in  the 
Dead  Sea,  406, 409. 


INDEX. 


Haroun-al-Raschid,  reminders  of  the  days  of, 

334  ;  a  modern,  565,  566. 
Harper  tomb,  the,  292. 
Harpists,      representation    of,    in     Egyptian 

tomb,  202. 

Harris,  Walter,  perils  at  Sheshouan,  97. 
Hashbanny  River,  the,  475. 
Hasheesh,  its  use  in  Tangier,  93  ;  in  Egypt, 

218  ;  as  a  factor  in  insanity,  218. 
"  Hashshasheen,"  meaning  of  the  word,  218. 
Hassan,  Mosque  of  Sultan,  213,  216. 
Hatasou,  the  obelisk,  280. 
Hathor,  worship  of,  267. 
Hattin,  Horns  of,  461. 
Hauran,   mountains   of,   449  ;    Druse   settle- 

ments in,  478. 

Hautes-Pyrenees,  scenery  of,  3. 
Hawk,  sacred  emblem  of  the  sun,  268. 
Hawthorns,  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  366. 
Hazel-nut  village,  the,  548. 
Hazor,  the  king  of,  overthrown  by  Joshua,  472. 
Headbands,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 
Health,  effect  of  forests  on,  19. 
Heat,  sufferings  from,  265,  294,  303,  316-318, 

366,  405,  414,  479;  tempered  by  absence  of 

humidity   265  ;  in  the  valley  of  the  Dead 

Sea,  409  ;  in  Palestine,  431.     See  also  CLI- 

MATE. 

Heathenism,  Mohammed's  hatred  of,  323. 
Heaven,  the  quick  route  to,  381. 
Heavenly  Water,  the,  548. 
Heber,  Bishop  Reginald,  on  the  rose  of  Shar- 

on, 346  ;  "  Cool  Siloam's  shady  rill,"  361. 
Hebrews,  the  Epistle  to  the,  quoted,  386;  a 

civilization  at   Banias  older  than  the,  473. 

See  also  ISRAELITES  ;  JEWS. 
Hebrew  women,  Isaiah's  description  of  their 

costume,  320,  321. 
Hebron,  former  capital  of  the  Jews,  355  ;  the 


s  of,  225,  226. 

:  "  flawless  lyric  "  of,  314. 


Gate  of,  373. 

Height,  the  dizziness 

Heine,  Heinrich,  the 

Helbon,  the  wine  of,  480. 

Helena,  Empress,  pilgrimage  and  works  of, 
202,  203  ;  search  for  the  cross,  389  ;  discov- 
ery of  the  holy  manger  by,  399  ;  founder  of 
monastery  at  Mount  Athos,  532. 

Helicon,  528. 

Heliopolis,  removal  of  Cleopatra's  Needles 
from,  208  ;  road  from  Cairo  to,  219  ;  ancient 
glories  of,  219  ;  obelisk  at,  280,  281  ;  contri- 
butions to  Santa  Sophia,  540. 

Hell,  how  to  paint  a  picture  of,  92  ;  "  in  the 
midst  of  Paradise,"  142  ;  prototype  of,  361  ; 
tradition  concerning,  362. 

Hellenic  Greeks,  in  Smyrna,  506. 

Hellespont,  the,  532. 

Hendaye,  10. 

Henri  of  Navarre,  birthplace  of,  8. 

Henry  II,  of  England,  14. 

Herculaneum,  remains  of,  189,  190,  197  ;  de- 
struction of,  195,  197. 

Heredia,  Tomas,  the  estates  of,  64,  65. 

Heredity,  among  lepers,  426,  427. 

Heresy,  early  trial  for,  347. 

Hermitages,  at  the  site  of  the  Temptation 
and  Fast,  413. 

Hermon,  Mount,  435,  449,  453,  461,  462,  471, 
483,  401  ;  the  ascent  of,  472-478  ;  scenery 
around,  472,  473  ;  resemblance  of  region  to 
Ireland,  473  ;  climate,  473;  birthplace  of  the 
Jordan,  475  ;  height  above  Cssarea  Philip- 
pi,  476  ;  supposed  scene  of  the  Transfigura- 
tion, 477  ;  the  Mont  Blanc  of  Palestine,  478  ; 


compared  with  Lebanon,  478 ;  the  cool  wa- 
ters of,  479. 

Hermopolu,  261. 

Hernani,  12. 

Herod,  Jerusalem  recaptured  in  time  of,  355- 
Jerusalem  inthedaysof,  356  ;  Philip  the  soi 
oft  473  ;  temple  erected  by,  at  Hamas,  475. 

Herod  Antipas,  builder  of  Tiberias,  465. 

Herod's  Gate,  374. 

Herod's  temple,  ruins  of,  377. 

Herodes  Atticus,  the  Odeum  of,  520. 

Herodotus,  statue  of,  in  Naples,  189  ;  descrip 
tion  of  Egypt,  206,  207  ;  on  the  use  of  hash- 
eesh, 218;  at  Heliopolis,  219;  on  the  Pyra- 
mids, 221  ;  on  the  Nile,  238  ;  on  the  sources 
of  the  Nile,  310,  311  ;  Scio  in  ihe  time  of,  503. 

Herons,  on  the  Nile,  250. 

Herpstratus,  incendiary  of  the  Temple  of 
Diana,  512. 

High  Plateaus  of  Algeria,  120. 

Hill  of  the  Judge,  472. 

Hill  of  the  Muses,  the,  528. 

Hinnom,  the  valley  of,  356,  361,  370. 

Hippocrates,  the  birthplace  of,  500. 

Hippodrome  of  Constantinople,  560. 

Hippopotamus  hide,  Egyptian  whip  of,  257. 

Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  navy  of,  108 ;  Solo- 
mon's transactions  with,  342. 

Hirschberg,  Prof.,  fellow-traveler  on  the  Nile, 
241  ;  study  of  ophthalmia,  265. 

Historic  associations,  influence  of,  192. 

History,  the  cradle  of,  206 ;  the  Father  of, 
219,  221  ;  secret  of  the  importance  of,  503. 

Hivites,  former  owners  of  Shechem,  438. 

Hobah,  Abram's  pursuit  of  the  kings  to,  489. 

Hobib,  the  eccentric,  450-452. 

Hog,  utility  and  patriotism  of  the,  13. 

Hogge,  Dr.,  265. 

Hogs,  Servian  trade  in,  571. 

"  Hold  the  Fort,"  how  viewed  in  Turkey,  565. 

Holland,  consumption  of  Bordeaux  wines.  2  ; 
alliance  against  Spain,  no;  blackmailed  by 
Algiers,  127  ;  interest  in  the  Suez  Canal, 336. 

Holy  Family,  resting-place  of  the,  219.  See 
also  JOSF.PH  ;  MARY  ;  VIRGIN. 

Holy  Land,  the  scallop-shell  sign  of  a  pilgrim- 
age to,  343  ;  Mohammedan  capture  of,  461. 
See  also  PALESTINE. 

Holy  Rock,  the,  378,  381  ;  attempts  to  follow 
Mohammed  to  heaven,  381. 

Holy  Sepulcher,  the,  Ferdinand  I's  plot  to 
steal,  172  ;  Church  of  the,  382-394. 

"  Home  again,"  573. 

Homer,  bust  in  National  Museum,  Naples, 
189  ;  question  of  his  writing-powers,  335  ; 
alleged  birthplace,  503,  500. 

Honesty,  Coptic,  331 ;  Greek,  529. 

Hong-Kong,  saving  in  distance  from  London 
to,  via  Suez  Canal,  338. 

"  Hoo,"  the  word,  330. 

Hood,  Thomas,  on  silence,  311. 

Hoods,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Hooker,  Sir  Joseph,  travejs  in  Morocco,  97. 

Horizon,  the  type  of  eternity,  226. 

Horn,  use  of  the,  by  howling  dervishes,  329. 

Horn  of  Abundance,  the,  536. 

Horns  of  Hattin,  461. 

Horse,  an  unthinking,  396;  a  peculiar,  510; 
tomb  of  a  favorite,  556. 

Horse-market  at  Damascus,  483. 

Horses,  Jerusalem,  395,  396 ;  trading,  306  ; 
poor  quality  of,  in  Palestine,  461  ;  Arabian 
and  Kentucky  compared,  483 ;  of  Asia 
Minor,  510;  of  Eastern  Roumelia,  567. 


592 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Horticultural  gardens  at  Malaga,  65. 

Hosanna,  369. 

Hosea,  prophecy  regarding  Samaria,  440. 

Hospitality,  Scotch,  130;  taught  by  Moham- 
med, 323  ;  Turkish,  560,  561. 

Hospitals :  Seville,  44  ;  Kaiserswerth,  in  Jeru- 
salem, 422  ;  for  lepers,  426  ;  Saladin's  build- 
ing of,  487. 

H6tel  d  Etrangers,  Athens,  516. 

Hotels,  in  Athens,  516. 

House-moving,  miraculous,  454. 

House  of  Poverty,  the,  414. 

"  Howadji !  "  458. 

Howara  dogs,  266. 

Howe,  Fisher,  on  the  site  of  Golgotha,  389. 

Howells,  W.  p.,  on  the  Bridge  of  Sighs,  165. 

Howling  dervishes,  the,  326-330  ;  contrasted 
with  the  spinning  dervishes,  553. 

Howson,  Rev.  J.  S.,  quoted,  400. 

Hudson  River,  analogy  between  the  Jordan 
and  the,  474. 

Huelgas,  Las,  convent  of,  14. 

Huleh,  Lake,  region  of,  472. 

Human  life,  the  sun  the  symbol  of,  226  ;  visit 
to  the  Pyramids  a  type  of,  237. 

Human  nature,  a  study  in,  418 ;  a  peculiar 
specimen  of,  445 ;  the  marvelous  suscepti- 
bilities of,  488. 

Human  progress,  73,  113. 

Humboldt,  F.  H.  A.,  on  the  Nile,  239. 

Humidity,  absence  of,  in  Egypt,  265,  293. 

Hungarian  Fund,  the,  572. 

Hungarian  Jews,  appellation  of,  465. 

Hungary,  the  capital  of,  571-573. 

"  Hydaspes,"  the,  205. 

Hyenas,  in  the  Atlas  Mountains,  135 ;  at 
Tiberias,  471. 

Hypocrite,  a,  142. 

Hypostyle  Hall,  at  Karnak,  280;  predicted 
fall  of  the,  282. 

Iberians,  descendants  of  the,  12. 
Ibn-1-ahmar,  additions  to  the  Alhambra,  55. 
Ibrahim  Pasha,  defeat  of,  at  Navarino,  205. 
Ichneumon,  worship  of  the,  270. 
Idolaters,  Mohammed's  hatred  of,  323. 
Idolatry,  Samaritan  hatred  of,  440. 
If,  Chateau  d',  138. 
Ignatius,  St.,  martyrdom  of,  508. 
Ignorance,  in  Italy,  202. 
"  I  H  S,"  the  letters,  172. 
Hind,  the,  was  it  committed  to  writing?  335. 
Illusions,  optical,  222,  405. 
Illyrian  Mountains,  the,  568. 
Images,  manufacture  of,  at  Bethlehem,  397. 
magination,  an  Italian  characteristic,  200. 
mbat,  the,  507. 
mitation,  power  of,  154. 
mmaculate  Conception,  the,  4. 
mmorality  of  Naples,  187,  190-192. 
mmortality,  Mohammedan  belief  in,  323. 
mmortality  of  the  soul,  Egyptian  belief  in 
the,  231. 

mperial  City,  the,  174. 
mperial  Gale,  the,  540. 
ncubators,  use  of,  for  ostrich  eggs,  220. 
India,  Venetian  monopoly  of  commerce  from, 
158  ;  commerce  of,  through  Alexandria,  207; 
use  of  hasheesh  in,  218 ;  the  buffalo  intro- 
duced into  Egypt  from,  250;  worship  of  the 
sacred  cow  in,  268  ;  leprosy  in,  427  ;  causes 
of  success  of  missions  in,  466 ;  Methodist 
Church  in,  496  ;  market-places  of.  544. 
Indian  hemp,  smoking,  93;  in  Egypt,  218. 


Indian  Ocean,  intercourse  with  Egypt  of 
countries  of,  276. 

Indolence,  produced  by  climate,  71. 

Indulgences,  26,  27 ;  granted  by  Cardinal 
Lavigerie,  126;  "at  reasonable  terms,"  166. 

Infidelity  in  Italy,  202. 

Ink-pots,  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 

"  Innocent  Abroad,     an,  237. 

Innocents,  paintings  of  massacre  of,  in  Flor- 
ence, 171. 

Inquisition,  the  Holy,  Columbus's  transac- 
tions with,  46  ;  the  birthplace  of  the,  49 ; 
Protestant  teachings  in  the  land  of,  73  ; 
meeting-room  of  the,  at  Florence,  170. 

Insanity,  of  height.  154!  Mohammedan  belief 
regarding,  216,  217  ;  cause  of,  among  Ori- 
entals, 217,  218  ;  hasheesh  as  a  factor  in, 
218  ;  effect  on  the  human  voice,  329 ;  a 
marvelous  cure  for,  492. 

Inscriptions,  in  temple  of  Ptolemy  Philopa- 
ter,  288. 

Intemperance,  in  Spain,  69. 

Interest,  Mohammed's  prohibition  of  taking, 
323. 

International  Commission  on  the  Suez  Canal, 
336. 

Intoxicating  drink,  Mohammed's  prohibition 
of,  323,  324. 

Intoxication,  among  the  Copts,  331.  See  also 
DRUNKENNESS. 

lo,  legend  of,  535. 

Ion,  birthplace  of,  503. 

Ionia,  the  Museum  of,  507. 

Ionian  Confederation,  the,  503  ;  the  metropo- 
lis of  the,  509. 

Ionian  manners  and  learning,  center  of,  503. 

Ionic  architecture,  520. 

Ireland,  resemblance  of  region  of  Hermon  to. 

Irenaeus,  St.,  on  St.  Polycarp,  508. 

Iron  crown,  the,  154. 

Iron-mines,  at  Nemours,  119. 

Irreverence  in  Malaga  cathedral,  63,  64  ;  in 
Italy,  2op. 

Irrigation  in  Milan,  149  ;  in  Egypt,  209,  221, 
226,  240,  273,  274,  276,  312  ;  in  Palestine,  431. 

Irun,  10,  n. 

Irving,  Washington,  Spanish  histories  of,  10 ; 
description  of  the  Alhambra,  50  ;  residence 
in  the  Alhambra,  57. 

Isaac,  supposed  scene  of  the  attempted  sacri- 
fice of,  377,  300,  436  ;  the  well-digging  cus- 
toms of,  435. 

Isabella  I,  a  filial  tribute  from,  13  ;  marriage 
of,  55  ;  supports  Columbus,  56,  62  ;  attitude 
toward  bullfights,  80. 

Isabella  II,  of  Spain,  20. 

Isabella  of  Portugal,  sepulcher  of,  13,  14. 

Isaiah,  description  of  costume  of  Hebrew 
women,  320,  321  ;  description  of  the  waters 
of  Shiloah,  361. 

Ischia,  island  of,  188. 

Ishbiliah,  43. 

Ishmaelites,  scene  of  sale  of  Joseph  to,  441. 

Isis,  chapel  of,  268 ;  worship  of,  309 ;  the 
Temple  of,  Phils,  309. 

Islam,  the  spiritual  chief  of,  94  ;  memorial 
custom  of,  543  ;  victories  over  Christianity 
and  Judaism,  543  ;  meaning  of  the  term,  559. 

Islands,  the  beauty  of,  502. 

Ismailia,  335-337. 

Ismail  Pasha,  presents  Cleopatra's  Needle  to 
the  United  States,  208. 

Ispola,  Ispolis,  43. 


INDEX. 


593 


Israel,  the  national  assemblies  of,  350. 

Israelites,  the,  setting  up  of  the  twelve  stones 
by,  413  ;  Tabor  acquired  by,  476  ;  wars  be- 
tween the  Damascenes  and  the,  480  ;  rest 
at  Elim,  492. 

Israfel,  Mohammedan  archangel,  543. 

Istrian  Mountains,  view  from  Campanile, 
Venice,  166. 

Italian  language,  its  formation,  167. 

Italians,  compared  with  French,  200;  com- 
pared with  Spaniards,  200  ;  characteristics, 
200-204  I  unbelief  among,  202  ;  influence  of 
Roman  Catholic  Church  over,  204  ;  in 
Smyrna,  506  ;  at  Robert  College,  555. 

Italy,  emigration  of  Visigoths  from,  52  ;  em- 
bassy to  Morocco,  97  ;  disputed  sovereignty 
of,  no;  our  entry  into,  142  ;  its  chief  sea- 
port, 145  ;  Milan  created  the  capital,  149  ; 
view  from  the  Great  St.  Bernard,  153  ;  first 
road  to  Switzerland  from,  157;  the  Pantheon 
of  modern,  170  ;  independence,  186  ;  Glad- 
stone's popularity  in,i87;  open-air  life  in,  201; 
improvement  in,  201;  infidelity,  202;  Jews 
in,  202;  freethinkers,  202;  ignorance,  202; 
Protestant  work,  203,  204;  interest  in  the 
Suez  Canal,  336;  war  with  Abyssinia,  421; 
devotion  of  people  to  the  Virgin's  house  at 
Loretto,  454;  Sea  of  Galilee  compared  to 
lakes  of.  462 ;  Samian  colony  in,  503 ;  ad- 
vantages of  situation,  530. 

"  Itine'raire  de  la  Haute-Egypte,"  250. 

Ivan  the  Terrible,  49. 

Ivory,  Arab  decoration  in,  216;  trade  in,  at 
Asyoot,  263  ;  trade  in,  at  Assouan,  305. 

Jabin,  overthrown  by  Joshua,  472. 

Jackals,  in  the  Atlas  Mountains,  135  ;  mum- 
mies of,  263;  howling,  450  ;  at  Tiberias,  471. 

Jacob,  residence  of  his  family  in  Egypt,  219  ; 
erects  a  pillar  on  Rachel  s  grave,  397  ;  at 
Bethel,  430;  bequeaths  his  well  to  Joseph, 
435 ;  Shechem  in  the  time  of,  438 ;  curses 
Simeon  and  Lev  1,438;  an  educated  Samari- 
tan, 439. 

Jacob's  Well,  435-438  ;  Jesus  at,  437. 

Jael,  scene  of  the  killing  of  Sisera  by,  446. 

Jaffa,  arrival  at,  341  ;  compared  with  Quebec, 
341 ;  dangers  of  the  harbor,  34 1  ;  appear- 
ance of  the  city,  341-344  ;  terrifying  experi- 
ence at  landing,  342  ;  the  Mildmay  Hospital 
at,  343  ;  scallop-shells,  343  ;  plague  at,  344  ; 
education,  344 ;  Sunday-school  at,  344 ; 
stormed  by  Napoleon,  344 ;  immense  fruits 
and  vegetables,  344  ;  Miss  Arnott's  school, 
344  ;  distance  from  Jerusalem,  345  ;  distant 
view  of,  350 ;  Protestant  colony  near,  422 ; 
settlement  and  sufferings  of  American  col- 
ony near,  422  ;  the  "Quaker  City  "  at,  422. 

Jaffa  Gate,  Jerusalem,  352,  373. 

Jaffa  Medical  Mission  and  English  Hospital, 

343- 
James,  St.,  monuments  and  portraits  of,  169  ; 

tomb    of,     362 ;     sleeping-place    of,     365 ; 

Christ's  finding  of,  at  Capernaum,  468  ;  at 

the  Transfiguration,  476. 
Jameson,  Rev.  John,  Presbyterian   minister 

in  Madrid,  28. 
Janizaries,  the,  history  and  massacre  of,  557, 

558  ;  stronghold  of,  560,  561. 
Januarius,  St.,  painting  of,  188;  miracle  of 

the  blood  of,  188,  189. 
Janus,  Noah's  great-grandson,  144. 
Janus,  temple  of,  at  Cordova,  39. 
Janus  of  Troy,  144. 


Japan,  missions  in,  335. 
apho.     See  JAFFA. 
ardin  de*  Plantes,  Algiers,  121. 
ason,  scene  of  the  voyage  of,  548. 
ealousv,  of  explorer-,  and  travelers,  209  ;  a 
foolish  exhibition  of,  557. 
Jebus,  the  city  of,  352. 

Jebusites,  the,  region  of,  352  •  Joshua's  fail- 
ure against,  352  ;  defeated  by  David.  352, 
355  ;  founders  of  the  Tower  of  David,  417. 
Jefferson,  Thomas,  an  Egyptian,  329. 
Jehpshaphat,  the  valley  of,  356,  362. 
Jenin,  441,  442. 
Jeremiah,  his  prophecies  declared   fulfilled, 


247  :  tomb,  373,  386,  389  ;  supposed  burial 
of  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  by,  381. 
Jericho,  journey  from  the  Dead  Sea  to,  413; 


of  the  Ar 
iricho,  joi 

journey  to  Jerusalem  from,  413,  414. 

Jeroboam  at  Bethel,  430;  the  doom  of,  435  ; 
scene  of  his  division  of  the  kingdom  with 
R_ehoboam,  438  ;  site  of  erection  of  one  of 
his  golden  calves,  472. 

Jerome,  St.,  pilgrimage  and  work  of,  399; 
translation  of  the  Bible  by.  399;  the 
Chapel  of  the  Tomb  of,  399  ;  on  the  burial- 
place  of  John  the  Baptist,  441. 

Jerusalem,  compared  to  Granada,  51;  captures 
and  sieges  of,  178,  355,  356,  365,  369,  377, 417, 
487;  the  Pyramids  older  than, 228  ;  transpor- 
tation of  wood  from  Lebanon  to,  342  ;  dis- 
tance from  Jaffa,  345  ;  travelers  on  the 
road  10,346;  the  ark  brought  to, 3^0  ;  King 
David's  capital  at,  350  ;  approach  to,  351 ; 
David's  love  for.  351  ;  St.  John  on  the  city 
of,  351  ;  Christ's  love  for,  351  ;  St.  Paul  on, 
351 ;  the  hills  surrounding,  352  ;  influence 
of  its  situation  on  its  history,  352  ;  dimen- 
sions of,  352;  a  mountain  city,  352;  the 
Jaffa  Gate,  ^52;  Jebusite  occupation  of, 
352  ;  distinguished  from  Rome,  Athens,  and 
Thebes,  355;  fortification  of,  356;  in  the 


size  of,  compared  with  European  cities,  357  ; 
an  unprepared  visitor's  experience,  358 ; 
confused  notions  about,  358;  tombs  of  pil- 
grims, 361  ;  highest  elevation,  366  ;  climate, 
366-  distance  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  369; 
Christ  weeping  over,  369  ;  from  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  370;  Lieutenant  Lynch's  im- 
pressions of,  370;  the  best  view  of,  370; 
quarries  near,  373  ;  Mohammedan  posses- 
sion of,  373,  374  ;  walls  and  gates,  373.  374  ; 
tradition  of  the  second  coming  of  Christ  to, 
374;  animosity  between  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians in,  377;  feast  of  the  dedication,  377; 
Mohammed's  translation  from  Mecca  to, 
378;  the  (Mohammedan)  holiest  place  in, 
378  ;  wailing-place  of  the  Jews,  382  ;  the 
second  wall  of,  389  ;  visit  of  Helena  to,  389 ; 
a  disappointment  at,  395  ;  road  to  Beth- 
lehem from,  396;  compared  with  Bethlehem, 
397  ;  salt-supply  of,  406  ;  height  above  the 
Mediterranean,  406 ;  from  Jericho  to,  413, 
414  t  return  to,  414  ;  the  citadel,  417  ;  the 
modern  city,  418  et  seq.  ;  Russo-Greek 
Church,  419;  the  Patriarch  of,  419;  Rus- 
sian pilgrims,  419  ;  Copts  in,  420 ;  Armenian 
Church  in,  420  ;  Abyssinian  Church  at,  420 ; 
Christian  indifference  toward.  421  :  Roman 
Catholic  Church  in,  421  ;  Protestant  bish- 
opric, 421,  422;  lunatics  in,  422;  places  of 
amusement,  422  ;  German  orphanages,  422 ; 


594 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


society,  422  ;  Christ  Church,  422  ;  scandal 
and  backbiting,  422  ;  Protestant  education 
in,  422  ;  the  new  and  the  old,  425  ;  the  im- 
partial control  of  the  Turks  in,  425  ;  an 
eccentric  American  colony  in,  425  ;  lepers, 
426  ;  beggars,  426  ;  departure  from,  428, 


tion  of  his  success  at,  474  ;  the  King  of,  487  ; 
meeting  with  Father  Stephanos  at,  497 ; 
St.  Paul's  journey  from  Csesarea  to,  498  ; 
expulsion  of  Knights  of  St.  John  from,  500  ; 
compared  with  Ephesus,  509  ;  Paul  leaves 
Ephesus  for,  512  ;  tomb  of  St.  John,  513 ; 
mosques,  540 ;  Armenian  churches  in,  549. 
See  also  GATES. 

Jesse,  Samuel's  mission  to  the  sons  of,  397,  398. 

Jesuits,  mission  work  in  Syria,  496. 

Jesus.    See  CHRIST. 

"Jesus  loves  me,"  444,  445. 

Jew,  legend  of  a,  14  ;  odium  of  the  name,  560. 

Jewelry,  Egyptian,  320,  321. 

Jewels,  historic,  62.     See  also  GEMS. 

Jewish  history,  a  living  form,  523. 

Jews,  influence  on  Toledo,  34 ;  flight  from 
Seville,  43 ;  in  Tangier,  82,  85,  91  ;  their 
revenge  on  their  oppressors,  91  ;  as  money- 
lenders, 99 ;  in  Gibraltar,  107 ;  power  in 
Algeria,  129;  control  of  the  press  in  Italy, 
202;  turbans  of,  212;  extraordinary  union 
with  other  sects  and  races  in  Cairo,  214  ; 
their  part  in  affairs  of  Egypt,  255  ;  Moham- 
med's tolerance  of,  323 ;  in  Presbyterian 
mission  schools  of  Egypt,  332;  at  Miss  Man- 
gan's  mission  at  Jaffa,  343,  344  ;  agriculture 
among,  345  ;  conquest  of  Palestine,  352  ;  the 
capital  cities  of,  355 ;  attempt  to  recapture 
Jerusalem,  355 ;  courage  in  the  siege  of 
Jerusalem,  356 ;  tradition  concerning  the 
last  judgment,  362  ;  opinion  of  the  Kidron, 
(62 ;  animosity  between  Christians  and,  in 
'erusalem,  377  ;  return  from  captivity,  377; 


scientiousness"  amon»  the,  414,  417;  iden- 
tify the  tomb  of  David,  417  ;  return  of,  to 
the  Holy  Land,  418  ;  fanaticism,  418  ;  filth, 
418;  superstition,  418;  universal  collections 
in  aid  of  poor,  418  ;  unfavorable  impression 
created  by,  in  modern  Jerusalem,  418 ;  un- 
desirability  of  their  control  of  Jerusalem, 
425;  agree  as  to  site  of  Jacob's  Well,  435  ;  in 


berias,  466  ;  combats  with  wild  beasts,  474  ; 
the  sacred  river  of  the,  475  ;  quarter  of,  in 
Damascus,  483 ;  expel  Lazarus  from  Joppa, 
498  ;  in  Smyrna,  506,  507;  Paul  preaches  to, 
at  Ephesus,  512 ;  a  place  not  monopolized 
by,  521  ;  St.  Paul  s  dispute  withj  in  Athens, 
521  ;  outwitted  by  Greeks.  529  ;  in  Constan- 
tinople, 547 ;  commercial  superiority  of 
Armenians  over,  549;  at  Robert  College,  555. 

Jezebel,  residence  of,  443. 

Jezreel,  442,  443  ;  plain  of,  442;  Bedouin  camp 
near,  443. 

Joab,  heroic  deeds  at  Jerusalem,  355. 

Joachim,  father  of  Mary,  366 ;  tomb  of,  366. 

Jobar,  489. 

Job's  monastery,  349. 

Job's  Well,  349. 


John,  the  holy  monk,  264. 

John,  St.,  statue  of,  1(9  ;  on  the  city  of  Jeru- 
salem, 351  ;  sleeping-place  of,  365  ;  healing 
the  lame  man,  374  ;  quoted,  377,  386,  390, 
468  ;  description  of  Jacob's  Well,  435; 
Christ's  finding  of,  at  Capernaum,  468  ;  at 
the  Transfiguration,  476  ;  the  Revelation 
of,  501,  502  j  monastery  of,  502  ;  a  disciple 
of,  508  ;  residence  in  Ephesus,  512,  513. 

John  Lateran,  St.,  church  of,  182,  186,  385. 
ohn  the  Baptist,  St.,  remains  of,  144  ;  chapel 
of,  Genoa,  144;  reputed  birthplace,  350; 
scene  of  his  baptisms,  410  ;  convent  of,  410. ; 
reputed  tomb,  441  ;  disputed  place  of  his 
imprisonment,  441;  baptizes  Christ,  452; 
one  of  the  heads  of,  484  ;  the  baptism  of,  512. 

John  XXII,  Pope,  indulgences  granted  by, 
26,  27. 

Jonah,  paintings  of,  in  the  Catacombs,  181  ; 
embarkation  at  Joppa,  342 ;  birthplace, 
458 ;  tomb,  458. 

Joppa,  341  (see  also  JAFFA)  •  embarkation  of 
Jonah  from,  342  ;  Dorcas  s  life  at,  342 ; 
Hiram's  shipments  to,  342  ;  St.  Peter's  visit 
to,  342,  343  ;  Lazarus  expelled  from,  by  the 
Jews,  498. 

Jordan  the  River,  valley  of,  370,  405: 
Lynch's  explorations,  406,  409  ;  scene  of 
John  the  Baptist's  works,  410 ;  bathing- 
places,  410 ;  scene  of  Elijah's  smiting  the 
waters,  410;  journey  to,  410;  "swellings" 
of,  410 ;  Lot's  view  of  the  plain  of,  410 ; 
drowning  accidents,  410;  crossed  by  the  Is- 
raelites, 410;  bathing  in,  413;  tributaries, 
440  ;  extremity  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelou  at, 
442 ;  baptism  of  Christ  in,  452 ;  course 
through  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  467 ;  a  unique 
river,  467  ;  one  of  its  fountains,  472  ;  simili- 
tude to  American  rivers,  474  ;  its  sources 
and  formation,  474,  475;  the  Little,  475. 

Joseph,  son  of  Jacob,  residence  at  Heliopolis, 
219  ;  scene  of  his  dream,  400  ;  blessings  pro- 
nounced upon,  431  ;  Jacob's  Well  be- 
queathed to,  435  ;  tomb,  435,  436  ;  scene  of 
his  seizure  by  his  brethren,  438 ;  scene  of 
his  sale  to  Ishmaelites,  441  ;  the  pit  of, 
472. 

Joseph,  husband  of  the  Virgin,  tomb  of,  366  ; 
altar  to,  at  Bethlehem,  399 ;  life  in  Naza- 
reth, 452,  454.  See  also  ST.  JOSEPH. 

Joseph  and  Mary,  flight  to  Egypt,  340,  452  ; 
at  Beeroth,  430;  return  to  Nazareth,  452. 

Joseph  of  Arimathea,  legend  regarding,  144  ; 
t(3mb,  393. 

Joseph's  brethren,  supposed  painting  of  their 
arrival  in  Egypt,  255. 

Joseph's  Well,  472. 

Josephus,  records  the  residence  of  Jacob's 
family  in  Egypt,  219;  estimates  of  popula- 
tion of  Jerusalem,  357 ;  on  the  tomb  of 
David,  417  ;  authority  of,  441  ;  on  the  im- 
prisonment of  John  the  Baptist,  441 ;  on  the 
"  Little  Jordan,"  475  ;  work  at  Banias,  476. 

Joshua,  the  partition  of  Canaan  by,  342,  434  ; 
conquests  of,  348,  349,  352,  430,  472,  474 ; 
converts  the  valley  of  Hinnom  into  a  cess- 
pool, 361;  remnants  of  altar  erected  by,  437  ; 
book  of,  quoted,  472,  476  ;  Mount  Tabor  in 
time  of,  476  ;  tomb  of,  548. 

iotham,  scene  of  his  satirical  parable,  436. 
uan  II,  sepulcher  of,  13,  14. 
uda,  351. 
udah,  boundary  line  between  Benjamin  and, 
361. 


INDEX. 


595 


Judaism,    mixture  of,   in    Mohammedanism,  ' 

323  ;  the  sacred  places  of,  341  ;  Islam's  vie-  j 

lories  over  Christianity  and,  543. 
Judas,   his   betrayal  of  Christ,  361,  365  ;  the 

tree  on  which  he  hanged  himself,  396. 
Judas,  of  Damascus,  Saul's  lodging  with,  488. 
Judea,  the  mountains  of,  341,  343,347,349,  350. 
Judge,  the  Hill  of  the,  472. 
"  Judges,"  quoted,  348. 
Judges,  the  days  of   the,  348,  350 ;  tombs  of 

the,  373. 
Judgment,  Mohammedan  belief  in  the,  323  ; 

tradition  concerning  the  last,  362. 
Judith  and  Holofernes,  paintings  of,  171. 
Julesburg,  the  Platte  above,  compared  with 

the  Nile,  239. 

Julian  the  Apostate,  177. 
ulius  Caesar,  assassination  of,  177;  relations 
with  Cleopatra,  269. 
Jupiter,  the  image  that  fell  from,  513. 
Justinian,  castle  of  time  of,  on  Mount  Ger- 
izim,  436,  437 ;  wars  with  the  Samaritans, 
440;  burning  of  church  of  Santa  Sophia  in 
time  of,  540  ;  rebuilds  Santa  Sophia,  540. 

Justin  Martyr,  on  the  birth  of  Christ,  398. 
uvenal,  records  accident  to  statue  of  Mem- 
non,  297. 

Kabyles,  the,  hostility  to  Arabs,  133  ;  war 
with  the  French,  133 ;  theory  regarding 
monkeys,  134  ;  as  workmen,  135. 

Kadesh,284. 

Kadi  Kaioi,  537. 

Kaiks,  at  Constantinople,  549. 

Kaiserswerth  system,  the,  28,  319  ;  hospital 
at  Jerusalem,  422. 

Kalapothakes,  Rev.  Mr.,  mission  of,  519. 

Kalmucks  of  the  Caucasus,  the,  559. 

Karnak,  temple  erected  at,  by  Amenophis  I, 
276  ;  work  of  Thothmes  I  at,  276  ;  work  of 
Sethi  I  at,  276,  277 ;  ride  from  Luxor  to, 
278,  279  ;  ruins  of,  279-283,  294  5  a  tragic 
figure  in,  282;  causes  of  the  ruin  of,  282  ; 
beggars  at,  282,  283  ;  Temple  of,  287  ;  by 
moonlight,  302;  revisited,  316;  sphinxes 
from,  319  ;  convent  of  Mar  Saba  contrasted 
with,  400. 

Karyaten,  the  lunatic  asylum  at,  492. 

Katharine,  St.,  convent  of,  419. 

Kefr-Hawar,  479. 

Kefr-Kenna,  458,  459. 

Keneh,  266. 

Kent,  beauties  of,  i. 

Kentucky,  the  horses  of,  483. 

Khafra,  the  Pyramid  of,  229. 

Khan  Jubb  Yusef,  472. 

Khartoom,  238;  Negroes  of,  305;  telegraph 
line  to,  311. 

Khedive  of  Egypt,  the,  215,  216  ;  royal  yacht, 
243  ;  as  a  sugar-manufacturer,  257,  258. 

Khepera,  the  principle  of  light,  322. 

Khiva,  Saracen  invasion  of,  55  ;  the  Turko- 
mans of,  559. 

Khufu,  the  Pyramid  of,  229. 

Kibleh,  the,  326. 

Kidron,  valley  of,  762-366,  370,  382,  405,  414. 

"  King  Henry  VI,     quoted,  480. 

King  of  physical  terrors,  the,  196. 

King's  Chamber,  in  Pyramid  of  Cheops,  227. 

"  Kings,"  quoted,  348,440. 

Kings,  Gates  of  the,  288-292  ;  Tombs  of  the, 
370,  373. 

Kings,  the  private  and  public  lives  of,  con- 
trasted, 573. 

31 


Kingsley,  Bishop,  grave  of,  at  Beirut,  496. 

Kiosque,  the  Viceroy  al,  at  the  Pyramids,  222. 

Kirjuth-jearim,  identification  of,  350;  David's 
expedition  to,  to  bring  back  the  ark,  350. 

Kishon,  Sisera's  overthrow  at  the  brook,  445 
446. 

Kisil-Bash,  the,  550. 

Kiss,  the  scene  of  the  traitor's,  365. 

Ki/zilbashes,  in  Smyrna,  506. 

Knife,  use  of,  in  Spain,  70. 

Knights  of  St.  John,  the,  500. 

Knights  Templars,  destruction  of,  at  Horns 
of  Hattin,  461. 

Knumhopt,  tomb  of,  252,  255. 

Kolonieh,  reputed  birthplace  of  John  the 
Baptist,  350 ;  reputed  site  of  Emmaus,  351. 

Kolonos,  the,  523. 

Kom-Ahmar,  village  of,  251. 

Kom-ombos,  ruins  at,  303,  304. 

Koorbash,  the  Egyptian,  257. 

Koornah,  Temple  of,  284. 

Koran,  the,  inscriptions  from,  in  the  Alham- 
bra,  52  ;  teaching,  86  ;  reading,  212,484  ;  its 
position  in  the  mosques,  213,  214  ;  charac- 
ters in,  323  ;  knowledge  of,  indispensable  to 
the  understanding  of  Mohammedanism,  323; 
quoted  by  howling  dervishes,  329 ;  records 
the  translation  of  Mohammed  from  Mecca 
to  Jerusalem,  378  ;  inscriptions  from,  in  the 
Mosque  of  Omar,  378  ;  ancient  copies,  381  ; 
descriptions  of  Paradise,  485  ;  the  legend 
of  the  Seven  Sleepers,  513  ;  alliance  with  the 
sword,  543  ;  victory  over  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  ^43. 

Kos,  the  historical  interest  of,  500,  501. 

Kossuth,  Louis,  in  New  York,  572  ;  a  promis- 
sory note  of,  572 ;  how  regarded  by  the 
Hungarian  people,  572,  573. 

Koubbas,  128. 

Kraneion,  527. 

Kremlin,  compared  with  the  Alhambra,  51. 

Kurds,  outrages  of,  in  Damascus,  488. 

"  La  Champagne,"  the  steamer,  573. 
Lachine  Rapids,  compared  with  the  First  Cat- 
aract, 309. 

Lacrima^  Christi,  200. 
LaCroix,  on  the  approach  to  Constantinople, 

S32- 

Ladder,  the  angels',  at  Bethel,  430. 
"  Lady,  Our  bright-faced,"  343. 
Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  Washington's  eulogy 

of,  13. 

La  Fontaine,  the  tales  of,  191. 
Laguna  tnorta,  161. 
Laguna  viva,  161. 
Laish,  472. 

Lake  District,  compared  with  Nazareth,  453. 
Lakes,  the  purity  of  water  of,  409. 
Lamartine,  Alphonse  de,  on  the  approach  to 

Constantinople,  535. 

Lame  man,  healed  by  Peter  and  John,  374. 
Lamentations  of  Jeremiah,  supposed  place  of 

their  writing,  373. 
La  Mota,  castle  of,  n. 
Lanarca,  497  ;    Lazarus's  remarkable  voyage 

to,  498. 

Lances,  poisoned,  305. 
"  Land  and  the  Book,  the,"  386,  495. 
Lane,  Edward  \V.,  on  the  use  of  hasheesh,  218. 
Language,   in  Smyrna,  504-506 ;  the  Greek, 

530;   changes   in    English,  530;  a  modem 

babel,  504,  506,  547. 
LaocoSus,  paintings  of,  in  Florence,  171. 


596 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Las  Casas,   Bartholomew  de,  birthplace  of, 

49- 

Last  judgment,  tradition  concerning  the,  362. 

Last  Supper,  painting  at  Florence,  170;  the 
table  on  which  it  was  eaten,  185. 

Lathyrus,  Ptolemy,  sacks  Thebes,  277; 
breaks  the  statue  of  Memnon,  397. 

Latin  Churches,  resorts  of  pilgrims  of,  413  ; 
undesirability  of  their  control  of  Jerusalem, 
425.  See  also  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH. 

Latin  convent,  at  Bethlehem,  398. 

Latins,  at  Miss  Mangan's  mission  at  Jaffa, 
343  ;  ownership  of  the  Stone  of  Anointing, 
390 ;  worship  in  the  Angel's  Chapel  and 
Chapel  of  the  Sepulcher,  394  ;  ignore  St. 
Longinus,  394  ;  in  Nazareth,  453.  See  also 
ROMAN  CATHOLICS. 

Latrun,  village  of,  349. 

"  Latter  rain,  the,"  429. 

Laura,  403. 

Laureta,  the  widow,  203. 

Lava,  of  Vesuvius,  194-197,  199. 

Lavigerie,  Cardinal  C.  M.  Allemand-,  indul- 
gences granted  by,  126. 

Law,  influence  of  Rome  on,  177  ;  loyalty  to, 
an  Italian  characteristic,  201  ;  science  of,  in 
Egypt,  240 ;  study  of,  in  Cairo,  326. 

Lazarus,  paintings  of,  in  the  Catacombs,  181 ; 
house  and  tomb  of,  414  ;  Greek  legend  re- 
garding, 498. 

Leander,  the  scene  of  his  feat,  532. 

Lebanon,  Solomon's  purchase  of  wood  from, 
342 ;  cedars  of,  used  in  construction  of 
Constantine's  church  at  Bethlehem,  398 ; 
mountains  of,  442;  cedars  of,  471,  498; 
compared  with  Hermon,478  ;  streams  from, 
480  ;  view  of,  from  the  desert,  491 ;  mission 
work  in,  496. 

Lebanon  Pass,  the,  492. 

Leeches,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

Legends,  regarding  the  Sacro  Catino,  144  ;  a 
wilderness  of,  385. 

Legerdemain,  in  Cairo,  211. 

Leg  ornaments,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Lemnos,  532. 

Lemon-culture,  at  Sulem,  443. 

Lemons,  sweet,  49. 

Lemon-trees,  at  Jaffa,  344. 

Lenormant,  Charles,  grave  of,  523. 

Leo  XIII,  grant  of  indulgences  by,  126;  a 
virtual  prisoner,  186. 

Lepanto,  Cervantes'  service  at,  25. 

Lepers,  colony  of,  at  Bethany,  414;  in  Jeru- 
salem, 426 ;  number  of,  426,  427  ;  hospital 
for,  in  Naaman's  house,  Damascus,  488. 

Leprosy,  Sir  Morell  Mackenzie  on,  426,  427; 
in  Jerusalem,  426;  symptoms  and  spread, 
426  ;  hereditary  or  not  ?  426,  427. 

Lepsius.  Karl  R.,  on  the  Pyramids,  220—231  ; 
on  the  age  of  Memphis,  247 ;  Egyptologist, 
266. 

Lesseps,  Ferdinand  de,  French  consul  at 
Cairo,  336  ;  residence  at  Ismailia,  336;  con- 
struction of  the  Suez  Canal,  336,  337. 

Lesseps,  Mathieu  de,  Napoleon  s  chief  of  po- 
lice in  Moscow.  336 ;  France's  first  repre- 
sentative in  Egypt,  336. 

Levant,  conquest  of,  By  Venice,  1^8. 

Levi.  capture  of  Shechem  by  Simeon  and, 
43.8. 

Levites,  carry  the  ark  to  Jerusalem,  350; 
blessing  from  Mount  Gerizim,  437;  cursing 
from  Mount  Ebal,  437. 

"  Liars  and  evil  beasts,    206. 


Libraries:  Alexandria,  207;  Athens,  522;  Bib- 
lioteca  Colombina,  Seville,  45,  46;  the  Es- 
corial.  33 ;  Gibraltar,  105 ;  Madrid,  20 ; 
Mar  Saba,  404. 

Libyan  desert,  the,  238,  293,  294. 

Libyan  Mountains,  261,  263,  264,  275, 276,  287, 
293,  294,  317. 

Liconce-paste,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

Life,  the  Egyptian  doctrine  of  the  source  of, 
321,322. 

"  Life  and  Epistles  of  St.  Paul,"  quoted, 
490 

Life-saving  stations  on  the  Black  Sea,  548 

Light,  the  Egyptian  principle  of,  322. 

Lily,  taken  for  the  rose  of  Sharon,  346. 

Lime,  profane  manufacture  of,  520. 

Linant  Bey,  M.,  makes  plan  for  a  canal  at 
Suez,  336. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  assassination  of,  512. 

Linen,  ancient  Egyptian.  320. 

"  Linked  sweetness  long  drawn  in,"  64. 

Lion,  the  young  lion  and  the  dead,  186. 

Lion  and  bull  fight,  78. 

Lions  in  the  Atlas  Mountains,  135. 

Liszt,  Abbe  Franz,  a  piano  formerly  belong- 
ing to,  572. 

Litany,  the  wailing,  of  the  Jews,  382. 

Literary  career,  making  a,  in  Turkey,  563-565. 

Literary  men,  the  difficulties  of,  in  Turkey, 
562-565. 

Literature,  influence  of  Rome  on.  177  ;  posi- 
tion of  Naples  in,  187,  191 ;  Italian,  202. 

Little  Hermon,  444. 

Little  Jordan,  the,  475. 

Liverpool,  arrival  at,  i. 

Loggie,  Raphael's,  186. 

Logic,  study  of,  in  Cairo,  326. 

Lombardy,  146  ;  coronation  of  kings  of,  154. 

London,  arrival  in,  i  ;  fog,  i  ;  Cleopatra's 
Needle,  208;  stock-exchange,  211;  situa- 
tion, 275  ;  saving  in  distance  to  Hong-Kong 
from,  via  Suez  Canal,  338  ;  Miss  Mangan's 
mission-work,  343 ;  Jerusalem  compared 
with,  357  ;  the  best  view  of  St.  Paul's,  370  ; 
likened  to  Constantinople,  547. 

London  College  of  Physicians,  opinion  of 
leprosy,  427. 

Long,  Dr.  A.  L.,  visit  to,  at  Constantinople, 
538,  548,  553  ;  position  in  Robert  College, 
555;  translator  of  the  Bible  into  Bulgarian, 
568. 

Long  bow,  a  favorite  Eastern  implement,  439. 

Longevity,  incredible  stories  of,  413. 

Lookout  Mountain,  battle  of,  n. 

Lord's  Prayer,  the  Moslem  equivalent  of  the, 
324- 

Lorenzo  il  Magnifico,  167  ;  villa  of,  171. 

Loretto,  origin  of  the  town,  202,  203  ;  the 
house  of  the  Virgin  at,  454. 

Lorin^  family,  64,  65. 

Lot,  his  view  of  the  plain  of  Jordan,  410 ;  res- 
cued by  Abram  from  the  kings,  489. 

Lotteries,  in  Spain,  69. 

Louisiana,  the  alligator  and  crocodile  in,  273. 

Louis  Philippe,  estate  of  his  son  at  Seville, 

44i  45- 
Lourdes,   scenery   around,  3 ;    arrival   at,  3 ; 

miracles  of,  4-8  ;  blessings  obtainable  at,  7. 
Louvre,  Egyptian  relics  in  the,  248. 
Loyalty    to    law,   an    Italian  characteristic, 

•Of. 

Lucan,  birthplace  of,  36. 
Lucas,  Paul,  on  the  First  Cataract,  310. 
Lucius  Mummius,  destroys  Corinth,  527. 


INDEX. 


597 


Luke,  St.,  statue  of,  169  ;  paintings  by,  172; 
as  an  artist,  182,  185  ;  voyage  and  ship- 
wreck with  St.  Paul.  206 ;  account  of  the 
crucifixion,  349;  gospel  quoted,  351,  468; 
discrepancies  regarding  the  site  of  the  As- 
cension, 369 ;  account  of  the  Transfigura- 
tion, 476. 

Lunacy,  cause  of,  among  Orientals,  217,  218; 
hasheesh  as  a  factor  in,  218. 

Lunatic  asylum,  pride  in  a,  44  ;  an  unparal- 
leled. 492. 

Lunatics,  treatment  in  Spain,  71  ;  in  Tangier, 
02  ;  Russian  belief  regarding,  125 ;  Mo- 
hammedan belief  regarding,  125,  216,  217;  in 
Egypt,  216-219;  early  Christian  belief  re- 
garding, 217  ;  at  Mar  Saba,  403  ;  in  Jerusa- 
lem, 422. 

Lusignan,  Guy  de,  captured  by  Saladin,  487. 

Luther,  Martin.  28 ;  visit  to  Rome,  182  ;  the 
will  of,  572. 

Luther's  wife,  paintings  of,  in  Florence,  171. 

Luxor,  Temple  of,  277,  278,  287,  294 ;  present 
condition,  277  ;  the  great  hall,  277  ;  modern 
life,  277,  278 ;  occupation  of  the  American 
consul  at,  300 ;  a  wonderful  gymnast  at, 
301  ;  return  to,  316. 

Luz,  430. 

Lycopolis,  263  ;  mission  of  Eutropius  to,  264. 

Lydda,  347. 

Lydda,  Bishop  of,  defeat  of,  at  Horns  of  Hat- 
tin,  461. 

Lykabettos,  Mount,  522. 

Lynch,  Lieut.  W.  F.,  explorations  of,  370, 
406,  409  ;  impressions  of  Jerusalem,  370  ; 
belief  in  the  Biblical  accounts  of  the  Dead 
Sea  and  the  Jordan,  409. 

Lyons,  meeting  of  the  waters  at,  239. 

Lysander  the  Spartan,  509. 

Macarius,  discovers  the  true  cross  and  the 
Holy  Sepulcher,  389. 

Maccabees,  the  wars  of  the,  355. 

Macedonia,  531  ;  Timothy  and  Erastus  sent 
into,  513. 

McFadden,  R.  A.,  sickness  of,  317-319;  re- 
joins the  party,  492. 

Machiavelli,  tomb  of,  170. 

Mackenzie,  Sir  Morell,  on  leprosy,  426,  427. 

Madder,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

"  Madonna,"  paintings  of,  in  Florence,  171  ; 
Raphael's,  186. 

Madrid,  aspect,  situation,  etc.,  19-23,29;  cli- 
mate, 19,  43  ;  royal  palace,  20 ;  visit  of 
Charles  I  to.  20;  bullfights,  20;  the  auto-da- 
fe",  20,  23  ;  paintings  in,  23  ;  order  in,  23  24; 
an  important  purchase  in,  26;  "  providen- 
tial "  institutions,  28;  Protestant  worship, 
28, 29  ;  contrasted  with  Paris,  29  ;  Wesleyan 
mission,  29;  the  Loring  estates  at,  64  ;  the 
bull-ring,  74,  77,  79,  80  ;  a  hero-elephant  in, 
79;  Convention  of,  98. 

Madridlenians,  summer  resorts  of,  12. 

Magdala,  in  the  time  of  Christ,  467. 

Magdalene  asylums,  in  Genoa,  145. 

Magellan,  Ferdinand,  birthplace,  49. 

Magi,  the,  paintings  of,  in  Florence,  171  ; 
altar  to,  at  Bethlehem,  399. 

Magic,  practice  of,  in  Ephesus,  512. 

Magnesian  Gate,  Ephesus,  the,  511. 

Magog,  battle  with  Gog,  442. 

Mahdi,  effect  of  the  wars  of  the,  263. 

Mahmood,  Sultan,  540 ;  tomb  of  his  favorite 
horse,  556. 

Mahmood  II,  massacres  the  Janizaries,  558. 


Maimonides,  tomb  of,  465. 

Maine,  experiences  in,  compared  with  Pales- 
tine, 432. 

Makhnaa,  the  plain  of,  435,  436. 

Malaga,  the  approach  to,  62  ;'  beggars  in,  62, 
65  ;  situation,  scenery,  and  objects  of  in- 
terest, 62-65  ;  Spanish  Protestant  church, 
64  ;  sugar-planting  around.  64  ;  the  Loring 
estates  at,  64,  65  ;  iron  works  of.  65  ;  Chriit- 
mas  in,  65  ;  the  bull-ring,  74,  112. 

Malta,  strength  of,  115. 

Maltese,  characteristics  of,  107. 

Mamelukes,  massacre  of  the,  213,  558. 

Mamerline  Prison,  the,  181. 

"  Maftana !"  70. 

Manasseh,  the  mother  of,  219. 

Manet  ho,  chronology  of,  229. 

Mangan,  Miss,  her  work  at  Jaffa,  343,  344. 

Manger,  the  holy,  399. 

Mango-trees,  at  Bethany,  414. 

Manlius,  509. 

Mansurah,  Presbyterian  mission  at,  332. 

Mantles,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Manuscripts,  Arab  appreciation  of,  216; 
Mariette  Bey's  search  for,  248 ;  one  of  the 
oldest  in  the  world,  439. 

Man  with  the  Iron  Mask,  the,  139. 

Marabouts,  125,  133. 

Marakesh,  indignities  to  travelers  at,  97. 

Marauders,  in  Palestine,  429. 

Marble,  profane  use  of  classic.  520. 

Marcellus,  Vicomte  de,  on  the  approach  to 
Constantinople,  532,  535. 

Marco  Polo,  statue  at  Milan,  154. 

Marcos,  Senor,  president  of  the  Spanish 
Chamber  of  Deputies,  25. 

Marcus  Aurelius,  the  Magnanimous,  177 ; 
column  of,  178. 

Margaret  of  Valois,  persecutes  Calvin,  8. 

Maria  Maggiore,  St.,  church  of,  399. 

Mariette  Bey,  Auguste,  on  the  Pyramids, 
229,  230;  discovery  of  sphinxes  by,  232. 
248;  temple  exhumed  by,  236;  on  statue 
of  Rameses  II,  244;  declares  fulfillment  of 
Jeremiah's  prophecies,  247  ;  on  the  age  of 
Memphis,  247  ;  discovery  of  the  Serapeum 
by,  248;  writings  of,  250;  Egyptologist,  266; 
account  of  the  Temple  of  Denderali,  266, 
267 ;  on  the  crocodile,  273  ;  on  the  history 
of  Thebes,  276  ;  prediction  regarding  Kar- 
nak,  282;  on  the  temple  at  Edfoo.  303; 
conservator  of  the  monuments  of  Egypt, 
303;  on  the  First  Cataract,  310;  tomb  of, 
319;  chronology  of  Menes.  322. 

Maritza  River,  the,  567. 

Mark.  St.,  tomb  of,  at  Venice,  158,  165; 
monastery  of,  Florence,  170;  account  of 
the  Transfiguration,  476  ;  in  Cyprus.  498. 

Mark  Antony,  177 ;  scene  of  his  funeral 
oration,  181. 

Mark  Twain,  fame  of,  236,  237. 

Marmora,  Sea  of,  the,  532,  535,  539,  556,  560. 

Maronites,  at  Miss  Mangan  s  mission  at  Jaffa, 
343;  church  at  Nazareth,  455,  477,  478. 

Marquqnd  House,  Beirut,  495. 

Marriage,  among  lepers,  426 ;  of  the  Adri- 
atic, the,  158. 

Marriages,  barbarous  ceremonies  at  Abyssin- 
ian, 421. 

Mar  Saba,  the  convent  of,  400-404 ;  peculiar 
sensations  concerning,  400,  403 ;  women 
excluded  from,  403  ;  peculiarities,  403,  404; 
library  at,  404 ;  view  from,  461. 

Marseillaise,  the,  2,  138. 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Marseilles,    climate,     137;    commerce,     137; 

harbor,    137;    cathedral,     137;    saving     in 

distance  to  Bombay  from,   via  Suez  Canal, 

338. 

Mars'  Hill.  521,522;  religious  service  on.  521. 
Marston,  Col.,  American  consul  at  Malaga,  62. 
Martha,  the  sister  of  Mary,  414. 
Martineau,  Harriet,  on  the  view  of  Cairo,  213; 

on  the  Pyramids,  225,  228. 
Martyrs:  Geronimo,   122;    reputed   tombs  of 

Christian,  at  Tower  of  Ramleh,  347  ;  skulls 

of,  at  Mar   Saba,  403,  404;    St.   Polycarp, 

508;  St.  Ignatius,  508. 
Mary,  Chapel  of  the  Egyptian,  390. 
Mary,  the  sister  of  Martha,  414. 
Mary,  the  Virgin,  Mohammedan  view  of,  378  ; 

Mohammedan   view   of    the   Son  of,    378; 

meeting  with  her  Son,  386  ;  visit  of  the  angel 

Gabriel  to,  452;  life  in  Nazareth,  452. 
Mary  Magdalene,  Christ's  third  appearance 


to,  390;  chapel  of,  390. 
lary's  Well,  455,  458. 


, 

Masorah,  the,  465. 

Massacres:  of  St.  Bartholomew,  9;  of  the 
Janizaries,  558  ;  of  the  Mamelukes,  213,  558. 

Mathematics,  aptitude  of  the  Copts  for,  331. 

Matter,  Egyptian  doctrine  of,  321. 

Matterhorn,  view  from  Milan  cathedral,  153. 

Matthew,  St.,  monuments  and  portraits  of, 
169  ;  gospel  quoted,  304,  476;  account  of  the 
herd  of  swine,  471  ;  account  of  the  Trans- 
figuration, 476. 

Maxentius,  Constantine's  victory  over,  181. 

Maydoom,  the  Pyramid  of,  250. 

Mazzini,  Giuseppe,  tomb  of,  146. 

Meander,  the  River,  503. 

Mecca,  pilgrims  to,  39.  212  ;  aspect  of  mosques 
toward,  213;  the  holy  well  at,  214;  mirac- 
ulous transportation  of  column  to  Cairo 
from,  214  ;  the  Riwak  of,  325  ;  the  holy  as- 
pect of,  326;  the  next  holiest  place  to,  378  ; 
Mohammed's  translation  to  Jerusalem  from, 
378;  Mohammed's  humble  occupation  in, 
489;  Mohammedans  pray  facing,  543. 

Mechanical  arts,  spread  of,  169. 

Medici,  Catherine  de',  9. 

Medina,  the  Riwak  of,  325. 

Mediterranean  Sea,  entrance  into  the,  81  ;  the 
key  to,  100  ;  view  from  Gibraltar,  112;  view 
from  Marseilles,  138  ;  view  from  Nice,  139  ; 
view  from  Mentone,  142 ;  characteristics, 
146  ;  scenery  of,  146;  admission  of  its  waters 
to  the  Suez  Canal,  337  ;  a  sorrowful  view 
of,  338  ;  view  from  Tower  of  Ramleh,  347  ; 
comparative  levels  of  the  Dead  Sea  and, 
406;  height  of  Jerusalem  above,  406;  rela- 
tive saltness  of  waters  of,  409 ;  view  from 
Mount  Gerizim,  436 ;  rivers  flowing  into 
the,  440 ;  beginning  of  the  plain  of  Esdra- 
elon  at  the,  442  ;  height  of  Tabor  above, 
449  ;  view  from  Nazareth,  4^3  ;  difference 
of  level  between  Sea  of  Galilee  and,  465  ; 
height  of  Lake  Huleh  above.  472  ;  Caesarea 
on,  473  ;  a  distant  view  of,  492  ;  once  more 
on,  497. 

Medusa,  paintings  of,  in  Florence,  171. 

Megara,  524. 

Megarians,  found  Calcedonia,  537. 

Mejdel,  477. 

Melchizedek,  scene  of  sacrifices  by,  378,  381  ; 
scene  of  his  encounter  with  Abraham,  436. 

Memnon,  Colossus  of,  297. 

Memory.  Rogers's  tribute  to,  503. 

Memphis,  219,  244,  247. 


Meneptah  I,  tomb  of,  276. 

Menes,  first  historic  king  of  Egypt,  322. 

Menkaura,  the  Pyramid  of,  229. 

Mental  aberration,  the  borderland  between 
sanity  and,  425. 

Mentone,  142. 

Mequinez,  the  Sultan's  court  in,  94. 

Mercedes,  Queen,  34. 

Mer  de  Glace,  a  contrast  on  the,  226,  227. 

Merom,  the  waters  of,  472. 

Messageries  Maritimes,  the,  338. 

Messiah,  the  Mohammedan  view  of  the.  378. 

Messina,  reduction  of  journey  to  the  Piraeus 
and  Constantinople  from,  524. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  a  faithful  serv- 
ant of  the,  496. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Missionary  Society  of 
the  United  States,  church  at  Milan,  157. 

Methodists,  in  Italy,  204. 

Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  Gen.  Di  Cesno- 
la's  connection  with  the,  499. 

Metz,  surrender  of,  139. 

Mevlevi,  553. 

Michael,  St.,  archangel,  statues  of,  in  Flor- 
ence,  171  ;  chapel  at  the  Holy  Sepulcher, 
390;  Mohammedan  archangel,  543. 

Michael  Angelo,  statue  of,  at  Milan,  154  ;  in 
Florence,  167 ;  architect  of  St.  Peter's, 
Rome,  169;  tomb,  170;  works,  186. 

"  Middlemarch,"  quoted,  439. 

Midianites,  scene  of  their  overthrow  by  Gid- 
eon, 444. 

Milan,  disputed  sovereignty  of,  no;  situation, 
146;  ancient  rights  in,  149  ;  cathedral,  149- 
154  ;  paintings.  150,  154  ;  theplaguein,  150  ; 
view  from  the  cathedral  roof,  150,  153  ; 
church  of  San  Ambrogio,  154  ;  gallery  of 
Victor  Emmanuel,  154;  cemetery  at,  154; 
cremation  in,  154 ;  triumphal  arch  of  Na- 
poleon, 157  ;  Protestant  church  in,  157. 

Mildmay  Hospital,  at  Jaffa,  343. 

Miletus,  503  ;  Paul's  address  at,  513  ;  rival  of 
Corinth,  527. 

Millingen.  Prof.,  under  the  guidance  of,  539. 

Mills,  J.  J.,  offers  prayer  on  Mars'  Hill,  521. 

Milton.  John,  visit  to  Galileo,  172;  on  the 
brook  of  Siloa,  361. 

Minarets,  picturesque  features  of,  537. 

Mineral  baths,  use  of.  in  Buda-Pesth,  572. 

Minerva's  treasury,  report  of  the  registrar  of, 
on  the  sources  of  the  Nile,  310. 

Minutius,  Quintus  Marcus,  award  by,  144. 

Mirabeau,  H.  G.  R.,  imprisonment  of,  138. 

Miracles,  at  Lotirdes,  4-8;  universality  of,  8; 
apparition  of  St.  Raphael  at  Cordova,  40; 
painting  by  St.  Luke,  172  ;  bones  from  the 
Catacombs,  182  ;  liquefaction  of  the  blood 
of  St.  Januarius,  188,  189  ;  wrought  by  St. 
Paul's  head,  203 ;  transportations  of  the 
Casa  Santa,  203,  454 ;  transportation  of 
column  from  Mecca  to  Cairo,  214;  a  sup- 
posed possessor  of  the  gift  of,  264  ;  the  sun's 
standing  still,  348,  349;  or  natural  events? 
349 ;  St.  Veronica's  handkerchief,  386 ; 
wrought  by  the  true  cross,  389  ;  the  resto- 
ration to  life  of  Adam,  394  ;  weeping  col- 
umns. 394  ;  of  St.  Longinus,  394  ;  Elisha's 
raising  the  dead,  443;  Christ's  first,  458; 
feeding  the  five  thousand,  461  ;  camels  the 
instruments  of,  465  ;  the  draught  of  fishes, 
468  ;  the  remarkable  voyage/jf  Lazarus,  498; 
wrought  by  Paul  at  Ephesus,  512  ;  in  Con- 
stantinople, 540. 

Mishna,  the,  465. 


INDEX. 


599 


Missions,  at  Asyoot,  264  ;  in  China  and  Japan, 
335  :  in  Jerusalem,  422  ;  scandal  and  back- 
biting in  Jerusalem,  422  ;  at  Ramallah,  430, 
431  ;  at  Beirut,  492,  495,  496  ;  in  Smyrna, 
507;  at  Athens,  519;  convention  of  workers 
at  Sofia,  568. 

Mississippi  River,  the,  first  impressions  of, 
238  ;  resemblance  of  a  Nile  steamer  to  one 
on,  243  ;  changes  of  course,  483. 

Mistress  of  the  World,  the,  174. 

Mithridates,  orders  the  massacre  of  all 
Roman  citizens,  501  ;  Ephesus  and,  509. 

Mitrahenny,  244. 

Mitylene,  503. 

Mizpah,  350  ;  burial-place  of  Samuel,  370. 

Mnason,  journey  with  St.  Paul,  498. 

Mnemonic  trance,  a,  174. 

Moab,  mountains  of,  370 ;  view  of,  405. 

Mohammed,  pilgrimages  to  tomb  of,  39  ;  in- 
fluence of,  55  ;  ideas  on  education,  86  ;  de- 
scent of  the  Sultan  of  Morocco  from,  94 ; 
lines  of  descent  from,  98  ;  descendants  of, 
212  ;  religion  of,  323-333  ;  fixed  place  of, 
3,33  I  as  Judge  at  the  last  day,  362  ;  transla- 
tion from  Mecca  to  Jerusalem,  378 ;  on 
the  value  of  prayers,  381  ;  the  golden  nails 
of,  381  ;  hairs  from  his  beard,  381 ;  trans- 
lation to  heaven,  381  ;  tombs  of  his  wives, 
484 ;  opinion  of  Damascus,  489  ;  custom  in 
preaching,  543 ;  prophet  of  God,  550 ;  pro-  j 
pheticcharacter,  5^4;  sacred  standard  of,  558.  j 

Mohammed  Abdel  Rahman,  215,  221. 

Mohammed  Ali,  gift  of  Cleopatra's  Needle  to  '• 
England,  208;  mosque  of,  212,  213  ;  orders 
the  massacre  of  the  Mamelukes,  213;  pre-  i 
sents   statue   of   Rameses   II    to  England, 
244  ;  excavation  work  under.  316. 

Mohammed  II,  captures  Constantinople,  536.  I 

"  Mohammedan,"  explanation   of  the   term, 

559- 

Mohammedanism,  forbids  drunkenness,  93  ; 
in  Egypt,  323-333 ;  religious  fervor,  strength, 
and  tenacity,  324,  325,  330,  333  ;  conten- 
tion in,  325  ;  the  central  doctrine  of,  333  ; 
a  narrow  line  between  Christianity  and, 
333  ;  converts  from,  in  Presbyterian  mission 
schools  of  Egypt,  333  ;  the  sacred  places  of, 
341  ;  the  issues  between  Christianity  and, 
378  ;  a  hero  of.  487  ;  the  true  name  for,  559. 

Mohammedan  life,  a  study  of,  433. 

Mohammedin  prayer,  a,  52. 

Mohammedans,  grandeur  of  their  ecclesiastic- 
al edifices,  39,  40  ;  rise  of  power  in  Asia,  55  ; 
bigotry,  82  ;  superstition,  99  ;  turbans.  212  ; 
extraordinary  union  with  other  sects  in 
Cairo,  214;  how  they  regard  insanity,  216, 
217;  use  of  wine  by,  217;  use  of  opium, 
217  ;  education  of,  at  Asyoot,  264  ;  manners 
and  customs,  324,  434  ;  renegades  among, 
325  ;  unbelief  among,  325  ;  in  Presbyterian 
mission  schools  of  Egypt,  332  ;  compare 
the  Roman  Catholic  and  Greek  Churches, 
333 ;  capture  of  Jerusalem  by,  365,  369, 
377 ;  tradition  concerning  the  last  judg- 
ment, 362 ;  possession  of  Jerusalem,  373, 
374 ;  the  holiest  places  of,  378  ;  their  idea 
of  Christ,  378,  553,  554  ;  traditions  of,  378, 
381  ;  reverence  for  Rachel's  tomb,  397 ; 
belief  regarding  the  tomb  of  Moses,  405; 
identify  the  tomb  of  David,  417  ;  agree  as 
to  site  of  Jacob's  Well,  435  :  in  Nabulus, 
438;  in  Nazareth,  453,  454;  capture  of  the 
Holy  Land.  461  ;  frequent  captures  and  re- 
captures of  Banias  by,  474 ;  in  Damascus, 


483,  484  ;  fatalism  of,  484  ;  Saladin's  rank 
among,  487  ;  fanaticism,  488  ;  a  favorite 
burial-place  of,  489  ;  in  Smyrna,  507  ;  con- 
tempt of,  for  Smyrna,  508  ;  belief  in  legend 
of  the  Seven  Sleepers,  513;  conquest  of 
Constantinople,  536  ;  alterations  in  Santa 
Sophia  by,  540;  custom  of  prayer  among, 
543;  claim  regarding  Joshua's  tomb,  548; 
the  devotions  of,  550  ;  number  of,  559. 

Mohammedan  saints,  tombs  of,  348. 

Monaco.  140. 

Monasteries:  St.  Mark,  Florence,  170;  Fiesole, 
171;  Auuustinian,  at  Rome,  182:  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  369;  in  and  around  Beth- 
lehem, 398-404;  of  the  Greek  Church  in 
Syria,  419;  at  Ramallah.  430;  in  Nazareth, 
454;  of  St.  John  the  Divine,  502;  on  Mount 
Athos,  531,  532.  See  also  CONVENTS  ; 
MOSQUES. 

Monkey,  a  huge,  301,  302. 

Monkeys,  at  Gibraltar,  108.     See  also  AHKS. 

Monophysites,  the,  331. 

Montagu,  Lady  Mary  Wortley,  on  the  ap- 
proach to  Constantinople,  535. 

Mont  Blanc,  view  of,  from  Milan  cathedral, 
153;  sterility  of  soil  on,  203;  prominence 
among  the  Alps,  449  ;  of  Palestine,  the.  478. 

Mont  Cenis,  view  of,  from  Milan  cathedral,  153. 

Monte  Carlo,  140-142  ;  suicide  at,  141  ;  a 
Scotch  minister  s  experience,  141;  ministers 
at,  141,  142. 

Montefiore.  Sir  Moses,  tenement-houses  con- 
structed by,  in  Jerusalem,  418. 

Monterey,  Fort,  139. 

Montero,  Francisco  Maria,  105. 

Monte  Rosa,  view  from  Milan  cathedral,  153. 

Monte  San  Angelo,  188. 

Montpensier,  Duke  of.  estate  at  Seville,  44.  45. 

Monuments,  destruction  of,  at  Naples,  192. 

"Monuments  of  Upper  Egypt,"  247,  250. 

Moon,  the,  standing  in  Ajalon,  348,  340. 

Moors,  the  vanquisher  of  the,  14  ;  influence 
on  Toledo.  34,  35  ;  conquest  of,  35  ;  capture 
Cordova,  39  ;  degeneracy  of,  40,  99,  100  ;  in 
Seville,  43  ;  characteristics  of  architecture. 
51;  legend  regarding  the  Alhambra,  52; 
limitations  of  their  powers  in  Spain,  55;  ex- 
pulsion from  Spain,  56:  admixture  in  Span- 
ish population,  66;  the  bull-ring  attributed 
to,  77;  conquest  of  Spain,  81;  their  key  to 
Spain,  81;  in  Tangier,  82,  89;  commercial 
instincts  and  education,  86;  characteristics, 
89  ;  former  greatness,  90  ;  in  Gibraltar,  107, 
no,  113;  houses  of  wealthy,  121,  122:  women 
among,  122  ;  of  Numidia,  133;  as  workmen, 

'35- 

Mophi,  the  mountain  of,  310. 
Morea,  the,  205. 
Moreh,  the  hill,  444,  446. 
Moret,  Senator,  25. 
Moriah,  Mount,  356,  377. 
Morocco,   coffee   in, 


,  94  ,      , 

how  family  scandals  are  avoided  in,  98,  99  ; 
scenes,  people,  condition,  and  outlook,  82- 
100  ;  view  of,  from  Gibraltar,  112;  likeness 
of  houses  in,  to  those  of  Pompeii,  197,  198  ; 
mosques,  540. 

"  Morocco  Times,"  quoted,  94. 

Mosaics,  in  Cordova  cathedral.  39  ;  in  Flor- 
ence, 171  ;  in  Constantine's  church  at  Beth- 
lehem, 398. 


6oo 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Moscow,  painting  by  St.  Luke  in,  172  ;  Na- 
poleon's chief  of  police  in,  336. 

Moses,  discovered  by  Pharaoh's  daughter, 
214,  241  ;  the  Koran  record  of,  323  ;  at  the 
burning  bush,  331  ;  tomb  (!)  of,  405  ;  Mo- 
hammedan estimate  of,  554. 

Moses,  our  ancient  guide,  395  ;  trading  horses 
with,  396  ;  opinion  of  Christ,  400;  describes 
the  rules  of  the  convent  of  Mar  Saba,  404; 
reminiscences  and  descriptions  of,  410; 
'"piety"  and  "conscientiousness"  of,  414, 
417  ;  linguistic  talents,  506. 

Moses'  Tree,  2:4. 

Moslems,  miracles  among,  8  ;  prayers  of,  324  ; 
at  Mi>s  Mangan's  mission  at  Jaffa,  343,  344. 

Mosques:  at  Abou-Gosch,  350;  Algiers,  122, 
125,  540;  of  Amer,  214;  Cairo,  211,  213; 
Constantinople,  540,  550;  Kgypt,  540  ;  El- 
Aksa,  378,  381  ;  of  Gami-el-Azhar,  325 ; 
the  Great,  of  Damascus,  484;  of  Hassan, 
122  ;  of  Jerusalem,  540  ;  of  Mohammed  Ali, 
212,  213  ;  of  Morocco,  540  ;  on  the  Nile,  251  ; 
of  Omar,  the,  370,  378,  381,  487  ;  at  Oran, 
120;  Ramleh,  347;  Santa  Sophia,  536, 
540-543;  of  Suliman  the  Magnificent,  550; 
of  Sultan  Hassan,  213,  216;  Tangier,  82  ; 
exclusion  of  unbelievers  from,  324 ;  Sala- 
din's  building  of.  487  ;  the  church  in  which 
St.  Polycarp  preached,  508. 

Mosque-tax,  the,  550. 

Mosquitoes,  in  Smyrna,  504. 

Mota,  La,  castle  of,  n. 

Mougel  Bey,  M.,  makes  plan  for  a  canal  at 
Suez,  336. 

Mount.  For  those  not  given  below,  see  the 
proper  names,  as  EBAL  ;  GEKIZIM. 

Mount,  the  Sermon  on  the,  scene  of,  461. 

Mountain  of  the  Bird,  the,  251. 

Mount  of  Beatitudes,  the,  461. 

Mount  of  Blessing,  the,  436. 

Mount  of  Cursing,  the  437. 

Mount  of  Olives,  the,Titus's  troops  on,  355  ; 
Jewish  burials  on,  362  ;  tradition  concern- 
ing the  last  judgment,  362  ;  height  of,  366; 
compared  with  one  of  the  Alps,  366;  the 
Ascension  from,  369 ;  distance  from  Jeru- 
salem and  Bethany,  369 ;  nomenclature, 
369  ;  monasteries  on,  360.  ;  Russian  tower 
on,  370;  Jerusalem  from,  370;  view  from, 
405,  414  ;  a  lunatic's  delusion  regarding,  422; 
farewell  view  of,  429. 

Mount  of  Transfiguration,  the,  476. 

Mounts  of  Precipitation,  the,  455. 

Mueller,  Otfried,  grave  of,  523. 

Muezzin,  the  cry  of  the,  211,  212,  550. 

Mules,  use  of,  in  Palestine,  428. 

Muley  Abbas,  succession  to  the  sultanship, 
98,  99  ;  self-destruction  of,  99. 

Muley  Ali,  "  removal  "  of,  99. 

Muley  Dris,  "  accident  "  to,  09. 

Muley  Hassan,  sultan  of  Morocco,  97-99. 

Mummies,  their  raison  d'etre,  231 ;  large 
find  of,  248  ;  of  crocodiles,  261  ;  of  jackals, 
263  ;  of  wolves.  263  ;  method  of  burial,  291  ; 
of  a  priestly  scribe,  320;  curious  teeth  in  a, 
320 ;  a  well-preserved,  320  ;  representation 
of  Osiris,  321. 

Mummius,  Lucius,  destroys  Corinth,  527. 

Murad,  deposition  of,  558. 

Murad.  Dr.  Anutun,  344. 

Murillo,  Bartholomew,  paintings  at  Madrid, 
23  ;  works  of,  45  ;  house  and  tomb  of,  46  ; 
mutilation  of  his  "  St.  Anthony,"  46 ;  birth- 
place, 49. 


Museo,  the,  Madrid,  23. 

Muses  and  Graces,  Asylum  of  the,  507. 

Muses,  the  Hill  of  the,  528. 

Museum  of  Arabic  Antiquities,  Cairo,  216. 

Museum  of  Ionia,  the,  507. 

Museum    of   the    Archasological    Society  at 

Athens,  522. 
Music,   divine.  63,  64;  in  Spain,  68;  Italian 

love   for,   200;    Italy's   eminence   in,   202; 

sweet  strains  of,  449,  450. 
Mycerinus,  the  Pyramid  of,  229. 
Myrtles,  in  Syria,  478. 
Mythology,  complexity  of  Egyptian,  320. 
Myths,  a  wilderness  of,  385. 
"  My  Winter  on  the  Nile,"  241. 
Mythology,  Grecian,  Roman,  and  Egyptian 

compared,  320 ;   the  symbolic,   of  Egypt, 

321,  322. 

Naaman,  interview  with  Elisha,  413,  480; 
leper  hospital  in  the  house  of,  at  Damascus 
488. 

Naboth,  the  field  wrested  by  Ahab  from,  443. 

Nabulus,  valley  of,  438  ;  position,  440  ;  pecul- 
iarities of  Samaritan  worship  at,  440;  re- 
mains at,  441. 

Nahr-Barbar,  River,  479. 

Nails,  Mohammed's  golden,  381. 

Nain,  444,  445. 

Nakedness,  exhibitions  of,  in  Egypt,  256,  257, 
282,  284,  306. 

Name-scribblers  in  Egypt,  249. 

Naples,  187-192,  205  ;  disputed  sovereignty 
of,  no;  blackmailed  by  Algiers,  127;  age 
of,  187  ;  climate,  187  ;  Rogers  on  the  beauty 
of,  187;  rivaled  by  Constantinople,  188 ; 
compared  with  Seville  and  Vienna,  191 ; 
covered  with  ashes  from  Vesuvius,  105  ; 
addition  to  our  party  at,  205. 

Naples,  Bay  of,  188,  192. 

Napoleon  I,  embarkation  from  St.  Raphael, 
138  ;  statue  at  Milan,  150,  154  ;  orders  com- 
pletion of  Milan  cathedral,  149;  works  at 
Milan,  157;  transfers  Roman  bronze  horses 
to  Paris,  165  ;  persuades  the  priests  to  pro- 
duce the  miracle  of  St.  Januarius,  189  ; 
landing-place  in  Egypt,  206  ;  steps  toward 
a  canal  at  Suez,  336;  his  cruelty,  genius, 
and  energy,  344  ;  plain  of  Esdraelon  in  time 
of,  442. 

Napoleon  III,  coup  d'e"tat  of,  2;  the  Sultan's 
gift  to,  382. 

Nathanael,  quotation  of,  regarding  Nazareth, 
453  I  birthplace,  458. 

National  assemblies  of  Israelites,  350. 

National  Museum,  Naples,  189,  190. 

Nativity,  the,  398,  399. 

"  Natural  History,"  of  Pliny,  269. 

Naval  history,  the  fame  of  Samos  in,  503. 

Navarino,  battle  of,  205. 

Navarre,  Henri  of,  birthplace  of,  8  ;  kingdom 
of,  55- 

Navigation,  in  Egypt,  240. 

Nazarene,  the,  452. 

Nazareth,  house  of  the  Virgin  at,  203  ;  rivalry 
between  Samaria  and,  440 ;  a  glimpse  of, 
443;  entry  into,  451  ;  pride  and  fame  of,  452; 
devotion  of  pilgrims  to,  452  ;  life  of  Christ 
in,  and  his  connection  with,  452-457  ; 
Christ's  last  visit  to,  452,453;  population, 
453  I  proverb  concerning,  453  ;  situation  of, 
453  ;  scenery  and  beauty  of,  453,  455  ;  Mo- 
hammedan capture  of,  454  ;  the  alleged 
table  at  which  Christ  and  his  disciples 


INDEX. 


601 


dined,  454;  feelings  on  approaching,  455, 
456 ;  feelings  on  leaving,  456,  457  ;  depart- 
ure from,  457,  458  ;  distant  view  of  the 
mountains  of,  471. 

Neapolitans,  morals  of,  190-192. 

Nebo,  Mount,  370  ;  region  of,  405. 

Neby  Musa,  405. 

Neby  Samwil, supposed  tomb  of  Samuel,  150. 

Negroes,  in  Tangier,  85,  89,  91  ;  of  Khar- 
toom,  305  ;  at  the  F'irst  Cataract,  311 ;  com- 
pared with  Nubians,  312 ;  dervishes  among, 
329;  in  Smyrna,  506;  in  Constantinople, 

Nehemiah,  describes  the  tomb  of  David,  417  ; 
customs  from  the  time  of,  440. 

Nelson,  Admiral,  feted  at  Gibraltar,  112. 

Nemours,  the  alleged  harbor  of,  119. 

Nero,  Triumphal  Arch  of,  162;  the  burning 
of  Rome,  177;  decoration  of  Temple  of 
Denderah  under,  267  ;  his  name  in  the  tem- 
ple, 269;  brass  statue  of,  287;  inscriptions 
of  time  of,  on  statue  of  Memnon,  297;  a  de- 
layed project  of  the  time  of,  524. 

Nerva,  contribution  to  Temple  of  Isis,  309. 

Netherlands,  the  Spanish,  disputed  sovereign- 
ty of,  1 10. 

Neva,  the,  275. 

New  Jersey,  a  citizen  from,  at  Thebes,  278; 
a  reminder  of,  504. 

Newspapers,  Greek,  516;  the  difficulties  of 
conducting,  in  Turkey,  562,  563. 

New  Testament,  nomenclature  of  the  Mount 
of  Olives  in,  369;  graphic  descriptions  of 
the,  471  ;  references  to  Banias,  475  ;  the  Ko- 
ran's victory  over  the,  543.  See  also  BIBLE. 

New  York,  discovery  of  mutilated  Murillo 
canvas  in,  46;  the  Italian  quarter  in,  201  ; 
Cleopatra's  Needle  in,  208;  the  stock- 
exchange  of,  211 ;  saving  in  distance  to 
Bombay  from,  via  Suez  Canal,  338;  relics 
of  Cyprus  in,  499;  an  oriental  establish- 
ment in,  504 ;  Smyrna  carpets  in,  505 ; 
embarkation  for,  573. 

New  York  Academy  of  Medicine,  discussion 
of  leprosy  by,  426. 

Niagara  Falls,  impressions  of,  222  :  the  First 
Cataract  compared  with,  jio. 

Nice,  geology  of,  109;  climate,  139,  140; 
scenery,  139;  gayety  of,  140;  birthplace  of 
Garibaldi,  146;  Council  of,  207. 

Nicodemus,  the  anointing  of  Christ's  body  by, 
390 ;  tomb  of,  393. 

Nicolaitans,  the  deeds  of  the,  514. 

Nightingale,  Florence,  the  work  of,  556. 

Nightingales,  on  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  409. 

Nijni  Novgorod,  the  fair  at,  357,  544,  547  ; 
how  population  of,  is  computed,  357. 

Nike,  the  Temple  of,  520. 

Nile,  River,  200,  212,  221,  294,  310;  its  rising, 
214,  215,  221,  238-24^0;  quarries  on,  231; 
grandeur,  238  ;  first  impressions,  238  ;  Gift 
of  the,  238;  sources,  238,  310,  311;  com- 
pared with  the  Platte,  239  ;  valley  of,  239  ; 
influence  on  intellectual  character  in  Egypt, 
240 ;  turned  into  blood,  241  ;  steamboat 
travel  on,  241  ;  the  voyage  up  the,  243  et 
seq.  ;  scenery,  243  et  seq.  ;  fish,  250;  super- 
stition on,  250  ;  wrecks,  251  ;  beggars,  251  ; 
a  sugar-factory  on,  257  ;  at  Asyoot  261; 
English  military  movements  on  the,  263, 
305  ;  journey  of  Eutropius  up  the,  264  ; 
crocodiles,  270,  273  ;  compared  with  other 
rivers,  275  ;  action  of  the  water  on  Karnak, 
282  ;  the  ever-wonderful  river,  288 ;  its 


overflow,  294  ;  destructive  work,  304  ;  the 
mystery  of,  solved,  311;  aground  in  the,  316, 
317  ;  incompetency  of  pilots  on,  317  ;  sick- 
ness on,  317,  318 ;  sufferings  on,  335  ; 
changes  of  course,  483. 

Nilometer,  the,  214. 

"  Nineteenth  Century,"  quoted,  201  ;  article 
on  leprosy,  426. 

Nineteenth  Dynasty,  the,  244. 

Nive,  River,  9. 

Noah,  the  great-grandson  of,  144  ;  the  Koran 
record  of,  321. 

Nob,  370. 

Nomads,  around  Smyrna,  506. 

Normans,  occupation  of  Naples,  191. 

North  America,  British  area  and  population 
in,  115. 

North  American  College,  at  San  Sebastian,  12. 

North  Cape,  compared  with  Gibraltar,  112, 113. 

North  Star,  as  seen  in  Egypt,  316. 

Norway,  pine-tree  of,  314  ;  barren  hills  of,  350. 

Nose  jewels,  320. 

Notre  Dame  d'Afrique,  church  of,  126. 

N6tre  Dame  de  la  Garde,  church  of  at  Mar- 

(i  seilles,  138. 

"  Nozrani  "'  the  opprobrious  cry  of,  438. 

Nubia,  the  valley  of  the  Nile  10,239;  trade 
with  Asyoot,  263  ;  music  of,  305,  306  ;  prox- 
imity to  Abyssinia  in,  420. 

Nubians,  at  Cairo,  222  ;  at  Edfoo,  303 ;  char- 
acteristics, 305,  306,312  ;  at  the  First  Cata- 
ract, 311  ;  compared  with  Negroes  and 
Arabs,  312  ;  superstition  among,  312,  313. 

"  Numbers,"  quoted,  348,  350. 

Numidia,  133. 

Nun,  the  source  of  life,  322. 

Nun,  Cape,  120. 

Obadiah,  tomb  of,  441. 

Obed-edom,  the  ark  at  the  house  of,  350. 

Obelisk,  the  oldest  in  Egypt,  219. 

Obelisks,  the  building  of,  219  ;  at  Karnak, 
276 ;  at  Luxor,  277 ;  one  from  I.uxor  at 
Paris,  277  ;  Hall  of  the,  280 ;  the  largest  in 
existence,  280 ;  hewing  and  transportation 
of,  302,  306  ;  reasons  for  Egyptian,  538;  in 
the  hippodrome  of  Constantinople,  560. 

Oberland,  the  Bernese,  8. 

Observatory  of  Algiers,  127, 128. 

Ocean,  relative  freshness  of  waters  of  the,  409. 

Odeon,  of  Ephesus,  the,  510. 

Odeum,  of  Herodes  Atticus,  520. 

O'Hara  s  Tower,  Gibraltar,  115. 

Ojen  Mountains,  112. 

Old  Man  of  the  Mountain,  compared  with  the 
Sphinx,  235. 

Old  Testament,  nomenclature  of  the  Mount 
of  Olives  in, 369;  references  to  Banias,  475; 
quoted,  489  ;  the  Koran's  victory  over,  543. 
See  also  BIBLE. 

Olive-culture,  219,  346,347,35°,  43',  436.  45°. 
453,  5j6. 

Olive  oil,  from  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane, 
365  ;  manufactures  of.  in  Nabulus,  438 ; 
trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

Olives,  Mount  of.     See  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES. 

Olivet,  road  from  Jerusalem  10,374. 

Olive-trees,  at  Jerusalem,  361.  362,365-369; 
at  Grotto  of  the  Shepherds,  400;  at  Bethany, 
414  ;  beauty  of,  431  ;  at  Shechem,  436. 

Olive-wood,  used  for  manufacture  of  rosaries, 

397- 

Olympieum,  the,  519;  compared  with  the 
Temple  of  Diana,  519. 


6O2 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Omar,  the  Mosque  of,  370. 

Omar,   Caliph,  visits   the   site   of  Solomon's 

Temple,  378. 

Ombos,  worship  of   the  crocodile  by  the  in- 
habitants of,  270. 
Omens,  belief  in,  in  Italy,  200. 
On,  residence  of  Jacob's  family  in,  219. 
Ophthalmia,  prevalence  in  Egypt,  264,  265. 
Opium,  use  of,  in  Egypt,  217  ;  as  a  factor  in 

insanity,  217,218  ;  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 
Optical  illusions,  222,  405. 
Oracle.     See  DELPHI. 
Oran,  arrival  at,  119  ;  the  town,  120;  power 

of  Jews  in,  129. 
Orange-culture,  45,  49,  62,  65,  93, 120,  130,  219, 

344,345,  443- 
Oranges,  Court  of,  40. 
Oratory,  in  Egypt,  207  ;  of  ancient  Greece  and 

Home,  530. 
Orchan,  532. 
Orgullo,  Monte,  n. 
Orient,  the  courtesy  of  the,  326. 
Oriental  entertainment,  299-301. 
Orientals,  cause  of  lunacy  among,  217,  218. 
Origen,  on  the  birth  of  Christ,  398. 
"  ( )riginal  of  Things,"  symbols  of  the,  230. 
Orion,  aspect  of,  in  Egypt,  315. 
Orphanage  at  Beirut,  495,  496. 
Orphanages,  German,  in  Jerusalem,  422. 
Orpheus,  figure  of,  in  Florence  cathedral,  170. 
Orthez,  governor  of  Bayonne,  9. 
Oscans,  occupation  of  Naples,  191. 
Osioot,  O'sioOt,  O'Siout,  259-265. 
Osiris,  a  multinominal  deity,  267  ;  worship  of, 

309  ;     representation    of,    in     the     Boolak 

Museum,  321. 
"Osiris,"  the  steamer,  337. 
Ostentation  in  Italy,  145,  146. 
Ostrich-farm,  an,  220. 
Ostrich-feathers,  trade  in,    90,  263;    use   in 

Egyptian  costumes,  321. 
Osyoot,  250-265. 
Othman    IV,   sale  of  the   fragments    of  the 

Colossus  of  Rhodes  by  an  officer  of,  500. 
Ox,  superseded  in  Egypt  by  the  buffalo,  250. 
Oxford  of  Old  Egypt,  the,  219. 
Ox-ford,  the,  535. 

Padua,  conquered  by  Venice,  158. 

Paganism,  Mohammed's  hatred  of,  323; 
among  Christians,  325. 

Pagus,  Mount,  505,  508. 

Painting,  differences  of  critics,  45  :  influence 
of  Florence  on,  167  ;  Italy's  eminence  in, 
202;  renown  of  Ephesus  for,  509. 

Paintings:  in  Madrid,  23;  in  the  Escorial,  33; 
in  Toledo  cathedral,  35 ;  Murillo's  "  Con- 
ception," and  "  St.  Thomas  Giving  Alms," 
45;  Murillo's  "  St.  Anthony,"  46;  Cano's, 
58 ;  Cabanerro's  picture  for  the  Senate 
Chamber  at  Madrid,  63;  at  Monte  Carlo, 
140;  "St.  Ambrose,"  150;  "  Theodosius," 
150;  in  Milan,  154;  in  Florence,  169-172; 
by  St.  Luke,  172  ;  in  Naples,  188,  189;  from 
Pompeii,  196;  in  the  Catacombs,  181,  182; 
in  the  tomb  of  Tih,  249,  250 ;  in  tombs  of 
Bern-Hassan,  252  ;  of  arrival  of  Joseph's 
brethren  in  Egypt,  255  ;  in  the  Temple  of 
Denderah,267  ;  in  the  Boolak  Museum,  320; 
in  Constantine's  church  at  Bethlehem,  398. 

Palaces :  of  Genoa.  143,  144;  of  the  Doges, 
Venice,  165;  Vendramin  Calergi,  166;  of 
Florence,  169 ;  of  Said  Pasha,  206 ;  of 
Cairo,  215,  216  ;  of  Caiaphas,  417. 


Palatine  Hill,  177. 
Palazzo  Giuslimani,  Venice,  165. 
Palazzo  Rosso,  the,  144. 
Palazzo  Vecchio,  the,  170. 
Palestine,  harbors,  341  ;    the  best  history  of, 
341  ;   roads,    345  ;   agriculture.  345  ;     boun- 
dary-stones   in,     345;    cactus-hedges,  345. 
347 ;    rural    scenery,    345-349  ;     olive-cul- 
ture,   346,    347,    350;    flora  of,    346,    453; 
fig-culture,    350 ;     goats    and   sheep,   350 ; 
mountains    of,    352 ;  Jewish    conquest    of, 
352  ;  confusion  Between  books  of  travel  in, 
358 ;  difficulties  of  pedestrianism   in,   366  ; 
climate,  366,  431  ;  a  Jewish  pilgrimage  in, 
397  ;  character  of  country,  398  ;  Stanley  on 
its  traditions,  398 ;  stables  in,  398  ;  the  most 
imposing  spectacle  of  human  creation   in, 
398;  return  of  Jews  to,  418;  peculiar  doctrine 
regarding  the   settlement  of  Christians  in, 
422 ;   marauders,    429 ;      ruins,     429,    431  ; 
changeable  features  431  ;  slavery,  431;  irri- 
gation, 431  ;  polygamy,  433  ;  dogs,  433,  443; 
the   most  authentic   remnant  of   primitive 
worship  in,  436  ;  the  prettiest  small  village 
in,  443  444  ;  the  dirtiest  place  in,  446  ;  exit 
from,  472;  the   Mont  Blanc   of,   478;    Ro- 
man road  from  Damascus  to,  479. 
Palm  Sunday,  the  Golden  Gate  on,  374. 
Palm-trees,  222,   226,  240,  243,  247,  251,  261, 

266,  279,  312-314,  348,  442- 
Palmyra,  Indian  commerce  through,  158. 
Pan,  ruins  of  temple  of,  near  Banias,  473. 
Panathensean  games,  scene  of  the,  519,  520. 
Paneas,  473. 

Panteon  de  los  Infantes,  El,  34. 
Pantheon,    the,    in  the   Escorial,  33,  34  ;  of 

modern  Italy,  170;  of  Rome,  177,  182. 
Panthers,  in  the  Atlas  Mountains,  135. 
Panza,  Sancho.  10. 

Papyri,  British  Museum  collection  of,  319. 
Papyrus,  471. 
Papyrus  rolls,  276. 

Paradise,  the  best  earthly  type  of,  483  ;  de- 
scribed in  the  Koran.  483 ;  an  earthly, 
489. 

Paris,  arrival  at,  i  ;  anniversary  of  the  coup 
dve"t.at  in,  i  ;  gayety,  i  ;  blue-blouses,  2  ; 
socialism,  2 ;  the  sans-culottes  of,  2 ;  con- 
sumption of  Bordeaux  wines,  2  ;  resem- 
blance of  Madrid  to,  19  ;  Madrid  contrasted 
with,  29  ;  bronze  horses  in,  165  ;  charges 
against  women  of,  191  ;  stock-exchange,  211; 
Egyptian  relics  in,  248  ;  situation,  275  ;  obe- 
lisk from  Luxor  at,  277  ;  Jerusalem  com- 
pared with,  357  ;  likened  to  Constantinople, 
547  ;  the  Exposition,  573. 
Parnassus,  528. 
Parnes,  Mount,  524. 

Parthenon,   compared  with    the    Temple   of 
Diana,  511  ;  compared  with  the  Propylaa, 
520 ;  views  from  the,  521  ;  remains  in  Lon- 
don, 521  ;  the   dead    religion   of  the,   522  ; 
distant  view  of  the,  528. 
Parthians,  capture  Jerusalem,  355. 
Partridges,  on  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  409. 
Pasaies.  harbor  of,  13. 

Paschal   lambs.  Josephus's   method  of   esti- 
mating population  by  the  sale  of,  357. 
Passion,  an  Italian  characteristic,  200,201. 
Passover,  the,  a  relic  of,  144  ;    the  first  in  the 
Promised  Land.  413  ;  among  the  Samaritans 
at  Gerizim,  436  ;  Samaritan  celebrations  of 
the  Feast  of  the,  440. 
Patara,  St.  Paul's  sailing  from,  498. 


INDEX. 


603 


Patience,  among   Italians,  200  ;    a  monument 

of,  287. 
Patmos,    the     mystery   and     fascination    of, 

501-503  ;  likened  to  Gibraltar,  502  ;  St. 
ohn's  release  from,  513. 

Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  visit  to  the,  419. 

Patriotism,  Greek,  529. 

Pau,  situation,  climate,  etc.,  8 ;  imprison- 
ment of  Calvin  at,  8  ;  proud  boast  of,  9. 

Paul,  St.,  paintings  of,  in  Florence.  171  ; 
stolen  honors  of,  178;  journey  to  Rome, 
181  ;  festival  of,  186  ;  tomb,  186  ;  charges 
against  the  morals  of  the  Roman  world,  191; 
miracles  wrought  by,  203  :  the  chain  where- 
with he  was  bound,  203  ;  execution,  203  ; 
characterization  of  the  Cretans,  206 ;  on 
Jerusalem,  351  ;  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
386 ;  supposed  scene  of  his  conversion, 
479  ;  relation  to  Damascus,  480 ;  escape 
from  Damascus,  488,  489 ;  "  Life  and 
Epistles,"  quoted,  490;  the  terrible  voy- 
age of,  498,  501 ;  at  Cyprus,  498  ;  jour- 
ney from  Caesarea  to  Jerusalem,  498  ;  men- 
tion of  Coos,  501  ;  impeached  by  Demetrius, 
512  ;  footsteps  of,  512-514  ;  supposed  im- 
prisonment of,  513  ;  Timothy's  companion- 
ship with,  513  ;  address  at  Miletus,  513  ; 
Epistles  to  the  Corinthians  and  Ephesians, 
514;  influence  of  Ephesus  on,  514;  in  Athens, 
521,  522  ;  the  living  spirit  of,  521,  522  ;  the 
Corinth  of  his  time,  527;  Epistle  to  the 
Thessalonians,  531. 

Paula,  works  and  death  of,  399. 

Pavia,  view  of,  from  Milan  cathedral,  153. 

Pearls,  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 

Peas,  the  legend  of  the  field  of,  397. 

Peddlers,  in  Cairo,  210,  211. 

Pedestrianism,  difficulties  of,  in  Palestine,  366. 

Pedro  the  Cruel,  49. 

Peking,  the  festivals  of,  544. 

Pelagius,  trial  of.  for  heresy,  347. 

Pelicans,  on  the  Nile,  244,  250;  at  Lake  Huleh, 

472- 

Pellico,  Silvio,  imprisonment  of,  165. 

Peloponnesian  mountains,  the,  528. 

Peloponnesus,  the  war  of  independence  in  the, 
516;  geographical  position,  524. 

Pendulum,  discovery  of  its  philosophy,  167. 

Penitent  thief,  the,  alleged  birthplace,  349; 
altar  to,  394. 

Pentateuch,  the,  description  of  Rachel's  tomb 
in,  397 ;  the  Samaritan  Codex,  439,  440 ; 
Samaritan  belief  in,  440. 

Pepin,  King,  tomb  of,  154. 

Pera,  536. 

Perfumes,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

Pericles,  the  city  of,  523. 

Persecution,  Mohammed's  views  on,  323. 

Persia,  Indian  commerce  through,  158;  use 
of  hasheesh  in,  218  ;  flight  of  Samaritans  to, 
440  ;  wars  with  Greece,  527. 

Persian  religion,  mixture  of,  in  Mohammedan- 
ism, 323. 

Persians,  sieges  of  Karnak  by,  282;  battle- 
fields in  Egypt,  288  ;  conquest  of  Jerusa- 
lem, 356 ;  destroy  the  church  of  the  tomb 
of  the  Virgin,  365  ;  raids  on  the  convent  of 
Mar  Saba,  403,  404  ;  colonization  of  Cyprus, 
498;  in  Smyrna,  506  ;  strife  for  Byzantium, 
536;  in  Constantinople,  547  ;  stained-glass 
windows  captured  from,  550 ;  at  Robert 
College,  555. 

Perthusiers,  on  the  approach  to  Constanti- 
nople, 532. 


I  Pesth,  location.  572. 

|  Peter,  St.,  description  of  the  earth  at  time  of 
the  Flood,  158,  159;  statue  of,  169,  178; 
imprisonment,  181  ;  tomb,  182,  186  :  re- 
buked for  running  away  from  kome,  joj; 
his  visit  to  Joppa,  342 ;  residence  with 
Simon  the  Tanner,  342,  343  ;  heals  Kneas, 
347 ;  sleeping-place  of,  365 ;  healing  the 
lame  man,  374  ;  on  the  tomb  of  David,  417  ; 
the  cock's  warning  to,  417 ;  pays  tribute- 
money,  468  ;  the  fishing  of,  468  ;  essays  to 
walk  on  the  water,  468  ;  Christ's  finding  at 
Capernaum,  468 ;  Christ's  declaration  to, 
475  ;  at  the  Transfiguration,  476. 

Peter  the  Great,  348. 

Petrie,  W.  M.  F.,  Egyptologist,  334,  335. 

Petros,  a  literal,  181. 

Phaleron,  the  bay  of,  521. 

Pharaoh's  cat,  270. 

Pharaoh's  daughter,  the  finding  of  Moses  by, 
214  ;  discovery  of  Moses,  241. 

Pharos,  site  of,  207. 

Pharpar,  River,  470,  480. 

Phidias,  figure  of,  in  Florence  cathedral,  170  ; 
works  of,  520 ;  scene  of  his  labors,  523 ; 
statue  of  Apollo  by,  560. 

Philadelphia,  situation  of,  275 ;  travelers 
from,  at  Tiberias,  462. 

Philadelphus,  Ptolemy,  commences  the 
Temple  of  Isis,  309. 

Philae,  306-309 ;  convent  of  Mar  Saba  con- 
trasted with,  400. 

Philip.  St.,  monuments  and  portraits  of,  169; 
preaches  in  Samaria,  440. 

Philip  of  Macedon,  siege  of  Byzantium  by, 
536  ;  founder  of  Philippopolis,  567. 

Philippopolis,  567,  568. 

Philip  the  Tetrarch,  founds  Czsarea  Phil- 
ippi,  473. 

Philip  II,  builds  the  F.scorial,  30;  char- 
acter, 30,  33;  Protestant  occupation  of  his 
house,  72. 

Philip  III,  of  Spain,  statue  of,  20. 

Philip  V,  king  of  Spain,  no. 

Philistines,  return  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant, 
350 ;  scene  of  David's  defeat  of  the,  396 ; 
theft  of  the  ark  by,  435  ;  Saul's  last  battle 
against,  443,  446. 

Phillips  Andover  Academy,  the  Principal  of, 
205.  See  also  BANCROFT,  C.  F.  P. 

Philosophers,  the  Forest  of,  507. 

Philosophy,  in  Egypt,  207  ;  differing  systems 
of  Mohammedan,  325;  in  Smyrna,  507; 
renown  of  Ephesus  for,  509  ;  of  ancient 
Greece  and  Rome,  530. 

Philostratus.  description  of  Ephesus,  511. 

Phocis,  distant  view  of,  528. 

Phoenicians,  commerce  with  Seville,  43 ;  ad- 
mixture in  Spanish  population,  66;  found 
Cadiz,  52  ;  influences  in  Spain,  52  ;  ideas 
about  Gibraltar.  109;  at  Gibraltar.  113; 


Cyprus.  490. 
Photographs,  my  collection  of,  303 ;  sale  of, 

by  clergymen,  439. 
Physician,  hindrances  to  successful  practice, 


',  318  ;  a  polyglot,  538. 
•icians,  of  Egypt.  207  ;  the  father  of  all, 
500. 

Physiognomy,  relation  of  blindness  to,  189; 
relation  of  expression  of  character,  189,  190. 
Piano,  a  celebrated,  572. 


Ph3ys" 
_5oo. 


604 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Pic  du  Midi  de  Bigorre,  8. 

Pic  ilu  Midi  d'Osbau,  8. 

Picture-galleries :  Madrid,  23;  Seville,  45; 
Florence,  167  ;  Dresden,  186. 

Pierce,  Edward  L.,  at  Beirut,  495. 

Pierce,  Franklin,  visit  to  Gibraltar,  105. 

Pigeons,  an  aristocratic  breed  of,  162. 

Pilate,  Pontius,  site  of  the  judgment  hall  of, 
385  ;  the  Arch  of,  385. 

Pilgrimages,  in  Spain,  68 ;  claims  of  benefits 
from,  125  ;  to  Loretto,  203. 

Pilgrims,  at  Lourdes,  4,  7  ;  at  Betharram,  7  ; 
the  scallop-shell  sign  of,  343  ;  a  famous  road 
of,  346;  to  Jerusalem,  348;  robbery  of, 
350  ;  tombs  of,  at  Jerusalem,  361  ;  on  the  Via 
Dolorosa,  385  ;  custom  regarding  winding- 
sheets,  390 ;  the  footworn  paths  of,  410 ; 
bands  of,  413,414  ;  Russian,  419;  accommo- 
dations for,  in  the  Greek  monasteries  in 
Syria,  419;  to  Mount  Athos,  531,  532;  to 
Joshua's  tomb,  548. 

I  illars  of  Hercules,  81,  109,  112. 

Pindar,  on  the  rising  of  Rhodes  from  beneath 
the  sea,  500. 

Pine-tree,  the  northern,  314. 

Piraeus,  the,  515;  railway  to  Athens  from, 
515  ;  view  from  the  Parthenon,  521  ;  reduc- 
tion of  journey  from  Messina  to,  524  ;  re- 
turn to,  531. 

Pirates,  Algerine,  127,  128,  350. 

Pisa,  geology  of,  109. 

Pisgah,  Mount,  405. 

Pius  IX,  recognizes  the  miracles  at  Lourdes,  4. 

Pizarro,  embarkation  from  Seville,  49. 

Place  de  la  Concorde,  Paris,  Luxor  obelisk  in, 
277- 

Place  du  Carrousel,  Paris,  bronze  horses  in, 
165. 

Plague,  the,  a  Pope's  method  of  checking,  185; 
at  Naples,  192  ;  at  Jaffa,  344. 

Plagues,  the  generating  center  of,  507. 

Plane-tree,  the  largest  in  the  world,  484. 

Plato,  figure  of,  in  Florence  cathedral,  170; 
at  Hehopolis,  219;  scene  of  his  teachings, 

523- 

Platte,  River,  compared  with  the  Nile,  239. 

Plaza  Major,  Madrid, the,  20;  auto-da-fe'  in,  23. 

Pliny,  geographical  knowledge  of,  45  ;  de- 
scription of  the  eruption  of  Vesuvius,  196  ; 
the  "Natural  History"  of,  269;  records 
accident  to  st:itue  of  Memnon,  297. 

Plow,  the  old-fashioned,  of  Scripture,  348. 

Plows,  in  Morocco,  99. 

Plum-trees,  at  Jaffa,  344. 

Pluto,  painting  of,  in  Florence,  171. 

Plymouth  Brethren,  in  Italy,  204. 

Pneumonia,  prevalence  in  Madrid,  19. 

Pnyx,  the  hill  of  the,  522. 

Po,  River,  158. 

Poet,  the  first  to  write  for  money,  500. 

Poetry,  influence  of  Florence  on,  167;  Italy's 
eminence  in,  202  ;  in  Fgypt,  207  ;  study  of. 
in  Cairo,  326  ;  of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome, 
530. 

Poets,  a  paradise  for,  475. 

Point  of  Quails,  the,  548. 

Poisoned  weapons,  305. 

Poland,  emigration  of  Jews  to  Tiberias  from, 
465. 

Police,  in  Spain,  70. 

Polish  synagogue  at  Jerusalem,  418. 

Politeness,  Spanish,  67  ;  in  Tangier,  86 ;  in 
Italy,  200. 

Politics,  position  of  Naples  in,  191. 


Polo,  Marco,  statue  at  Milan,  154. 
Polycarp,  St.,  the  martyrdom  of, 
508. 


. 

508  ;   tomb, 


JVW. 

Polytechnic  Institute,  Athens,  522. 
Polytheism,  Mohammed's  hatred  of, 
Pompeii,  remains  of,   189,   100,   196--, 
struction,    195,    197-199;    commerce,     197; 
loss  of  life  at,    197;    likeness   to   Moorish 
towns,   197,    11,8;    excavations  at,  197-199; 


323. 
IQO,   196-199  ;  de- 


Pompey, 509. 

Pompey's  Pillar,  207. 

Pools  :  of  Gihon,  the,  358,  361,  417  ;  of  Siloam, 

the,  361,  362  ;  of  Solomon,  the,  358,  361. 
Pope,  attitude  toward  bullfights,  80  ;  a  virtual 

prisoner,  186. 
Population,  how  computed  at  Nijni  Novgorod. 

Porcelain,  factory  in  Seville,  44. 

Porch  of  Justice,  Alhambra,  52. 

Pork-packers,  the  aristocracy  of,  571. 

Porta  Judiciara,  the,  386. 

Porter,  Rev.  John  L.,  opinion  on  site  of  Cana 

of  Galilee,  458. 
Port   Said,  distance   from  Suez  to,  337;  the 

town  of,  338  ;  departure  from,  338. 
Portugal,  bullfight  in  honor  of  the  King  of. 


osppo,     irgs  wor     on  te,  192. 

Post,  Dr.  George  F.,  work  of,  at  Beirut,  495. 

Poti-pherah,  priest  of  On,  219. 

Pottery,  of  A>yoot,  263. 

Prado.  El,  Madrid,  20. 

Prairies,  difference  between  the  Libyan 
desert  and,  294. 

Praxiteles  outdone,  150. 

Prayer,  in  Cairo,  212  ;  Mohammedan  obliga- 
tions of,  324;  the  Mohammedan  call  to,  550. 

Prayers,  the  Mohammedan  idea  of  the  rela- 
tive value  of,  381. 

Preaching,  the  problem  of  earning  a  livelihood 
and,  451,  452. 

Precipitation,  Mounts  of,  455. 

Precocious  youth,  a,  444,  445. 

Predestination,  Mohammedan  belief  in,  323. 

Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland,  mission  in 
Tiberias,  465  ;  Presbyterians,  at  Gibraltar, 
108  ;  in  Italy,  204. 

Prescott,  William  H.,  Spanish  histories  of,  10. 

Presidents,  the  private  and  public  lives  of, 
contrasted,  573. 

Press,  the,  freedom  of,  in  Italy, 202  ;  Tuikish 
censorship  of,  562-565. 

Pretorium,  disputed  site  of,  in  Jerusalem,  385- 

Prickly  pears,  hedges  of,  at  Sulem,  443. 

Pride,  the  national  characteristic  of  Spain,  44. 

Priestcraft,  in  Bulgaria,  568. 

Priests,  a  paradise  of,  10  ;  persecutions  by,  64; 
characteristics  in  Spain,  71  ;  bearded,  129 ; 
in  Cairo,  212;  in  Heliopolis,  219;  a  sup- 
posed trick  of,  297  ;  Coptic,  331  ;  Armenian, 
419,  420,  549;  in  the  Abyssinian  Church, 
421 ;  privileges  of  Maronite,  478  ;  ignorance 
of  Greek,  550. 

Prjm,  General,  assassination  of,  29. 

Prime  Minister,  fate  of  an  unfaithful,  213. 

Primitive  worship,  the  most  authentic  rem- 
nant of,  in  Palestine,  436. 

"  Prince  Abbas,"  the  steamer,  241-243. 

"  Principalities  of  the  Danube,  The,"  571. 

Prion,  Mount,  510,  513. 


INDEX. 


605 


Priscilla,  at  Ephesus,  512. 

Procida,  island  of,  188. 

Prodigal  son,  the  food  of  the,  350 ;  a  paral- 
lel to  the  parable  of  the,  557. 

Promenade  des  Anglais,  at  Nice,  139. 

Promised  Land,  a  synoptical  table  of,  282 ; 
the  first  passover  in  the,  413.  See  also 
CANAAN;  ISRAELITES:  JEWS. 

Propaganda,  the  College  of  the,  182. 

Prophecies, peculiar  doctrine  based  on  the,422. 

Prophets,  Mohammedan  belief  in,  323  ;  re- 
puted tombs  of  forty,  347  ;  the  source  of 
their  terrible  figures,  361  ;  the  Mohammed- 
an. 553.  554- 

Propylaea,  compared  with  the  Parthenon,  520. 

Propylon,  of  Karnak,  279. 

Protection  system,  in  Morocco,  98. 

Protective  tariff,  the  inconveniences  of  a,  10. 

"  Protector  of  the  Father  of  the  Faithful," 
the,  559. 

Protestant  Church,  miracles  in,  8  ;  worship  in 
Madrid,  28,  29  ;  activities  in  Spain,  71-73 ; 
work  in  Italy,  203,  204  ;  indifference  toward 
Jerusalem,  421,  422. 

Protestant  College  at  Beirut,  466. 

Protestant  colony,  near  Jaffa,  422. 

Protestant  F.piscopal  Church,  mission  at  Ti- 
berias, 466. 

Protestantism,  the  most  hopeless  work  under- 
taken by,  406  ;  jealousy  of  the  Greek  and 
Armenian  Churches  of,  555. 

Protestant  missions,  in  Egypt,  332,  333 ;  in 
Tiberias,  465,  466  ;  in  Damascus,  489  ;  in 
Smyrna,  507. 

Protestants,  Spanish  charges  of  cruelty 
against,  79  ;  scoffers  among,  325  ;  unbelief 
among,  325;  in  Presbyterian  mission  schools 
of  Egypt,  332;  a  Mohammedan  opinion  of, 
333  ;  at  Nabulus,  438  ;  in  Nazareth,  453  ; 
status  in  Turkey,  560. 

"  Providential"  institutions,  28. 

Prussia,  interest  in  the  Suez  Canal.  336 ;  sup- 
porls  Protestant  bishopric  at  Jerusalem,  421. 

"  Psalms,"  quoted,  487. 

Psammitichus,  experiment  with  the  alleged 
sources  of  the  Nile,  310. 

Ptolemy,  geographical  knowledge  of.  4^5  ;  fig- 
ure of,  in  Florence  cathedral,  170;  siege  of 
Thebes,  282. 

Ptolemy  XI,  supposed  foundation  of  Temple 
of  Denderah  under,  267. 

Ptolemy  Lathyrus,  sacks  Thebes,  277  ;  breaks 
the  statue  of  Memnon,  297. 

Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  commences  the  Tem- 
ple of  Isis,  309;  Ephesus  and,  509. 

Ptolemy  Philopater,  temple  of,  288. 

Ptolemys,  remains  of  the  time  of  the,  320; 
capture  of  Jerusalem  by  the,  355. 

Puerta  del  Sol,  Madrid.  20. 

Pumice-stone  from  Vesuvius,  197. 

Punch  and  Judy,  in  Venice,  166. 

Purgatory,  the  blessed  works  of  the,  26,  27. 

Purple  robe,  the,  385. 

Pylons,  at  Karnak,  276. 

Pyramid,  the  False,  250. 

Pyramid  of  Maydoom,  the,  250. 

Pyramids,  the,  221-237  ;  distant  view  of,  212  ; 
road  from  Cairo  to,  221  ;  impressions  of, 
222  ;  visit  to  the  interior,  227,  228  ;  baseball 
at,  228  ;  their  building,  purpose,  and  histo- 
ry, 229-231  ;  Mark  Twain  at  the,  236,  237  ; 
ascent  of,  237 ;  visit  to,  a  type  of  human 
life,  237 ;  exploration  of,  247  ;  of  Sakkara, 
248  ;  the  material  of  the,  302 ;  good-bye  to 


the  land  of,  338  ;  contrasted  with  the  con- 
vent of  Mar  Saba,  400  ;  reasons  for  Egyp- 
tian, 538. 

Pyrenees,   the,   scenery  of,  3,  8,  n  ;  crossed 
by  Vandals,  52. 

Quails,  the  Point  of,  548. 

"  Quaker  City,"  the  pilgrimage  in  the,  422. 


uarries,  near  Jerusalem,  373. 
uarrying,  ingenious  methods  of, 


306. 


,  ,        . 

uebec,  capture  of,  n  ;  likened  to  Jaffa,  341. 

ueen,  a  widowed,  166. 
Queen  of  Spain's  Chair,  113,  114. 
Queen  of  the  Adriatic,  the,  158,  166. 
Queen's   Chamber,   the,  in    the   Pyramid  of 

Cheops,  227. 

Queen's  Row,  Gibraltar,  115. 
Quinces,  at  Jaffa,  344. 
Quirinal  Hill,  177. 
Quixote,  Don,  10,  25,  395. 

Rachel,  death  and  tomb  of,  307. 

Ra-Em-Ka,  wooden  statue  of;  320. 

Rahman,  Mohammed  Abdel,  215,  221. 

Railroad,  a  mountain,  13. 

Railroads,  up  Vesuvius,  193. 

Rain,  scarcity  of,  in  Egypt,  336  ;  purity  of, 

409  ;  experience  in  Palestine,  432. 
Rainbow,  fate  of  scientific  article  on  the,  562. 
Raising  of  the  Cro.->s,  the  Chapel  of  the,  394. 
Ramah,  370. 
Ramallah,  430. 

Rameses  I,  temple  dedicated  to,  284. 
Rameses  II,  statues  of,  244,  277,   287.  319; 

coffin  of  the  favorite  son  of,  248  ;  splendid 

reign  of,  276;  work  at  Karnak,  277  ;  poem 

commemorating,  280  ;    finishes  Temple  of 

Koornah,  284  ;  temple  of,  284  ;    invasion  of 

Syria.  284,  287  ;  conquest  of  the  world,  287  ; 

mummy  of.  319  ;  Egyptian  art  under,  322. 
Rameses    III,   last   warrior   king  of   Egypt, 

276  ;  tomb,  292. 
"  Rameses,"  the  steamer,  316. 
Rameseum,  the,  284-287. 
Ramleh,  Tower  of,  347!  monasteries  in.  348. 
Raphael,  paintings  at  Madrid.  23  ;  statue  at 

Milan,  154  ;  in  Florence,  167  ;  paintings  by, 

in  Florence,  171;  tomb.  178;  "Loggie.  '  186; 

"Madonna,"  186;  "  Stanze,"  186;  "Trans- 

figuration," 186. 
Raphael,  St.,  apparition  of  ,  40  ;    monument 

to,  40  ;  Mohammedan  archangel,  543. 
Rappili,  197. 
Rauba  Capen,  139. 
Ravi,  Signer,  minister  of   Methodist   church 

at  Milan,  157. 

Rayah  Greeks,  in  Smyrna,  506. 
Reha.  the  modem  town  of,  413;  iniquities  of, 

413- 
Rehoboam,  scene  of  his  division  of  the  king- 

dom with  Jeroboam,  438. 
Religion,   allegorical   figure    on   Columbus's 

statue,  143  ;    influence   of  Rome  on,   177  ; 

how  awakened  in  Egypt,  240;    rise  and  de- 

cay of  Egyptian.  322  ;  the  charm  of,  503. 
Religious  conversation,  a  memorable,  553,554- 
Religious  freedom,  in  Spain,  71;    in  Smyrna, 

507. 

Religious  instruction,  in  Cairo,  326. 
Religious  persecution,  in  Spain,  72. 
"  Reliques  of  the  Christ,"  quoted,  456,457. 
Remittent  fever,  in  Cyprus,  498. 
Renaissance,  the  center  of  the,  167. 
Renaud  de  Chatillon,  defeated  by  Saladin,  487. 


oo6 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


"  Researches  and  Discoveries  in  Cyprus,"  499. 

Resurrection  of  Christ,  site  of  the,  389. 

Resurrection  of  the  body,  Egyptian  igno- 
rance of  the,  231  ;  Mohammedan  belief  in 
the,  323  ;  tradition  concerning  the,  362. 

Reuben,  territory  of,  370. 

Revelation,  Mohammedan  belief  in  written, 
323  ;  claim  of  direct,  in  American  colony  in 
Jerusalem,  425. 

Revelation  of  St.  John,  quoted,  442 ;  scene 
of  the,  501,  502. 

Reverence,  lack  of,  among  Copts,  331  ;  a  nat- 
ural feeling  of,  366.  See  also  IRREVERENCE. 

Revivalists,  sale  of  photographs  of,  439. 

Rey,  General,  defense  of  San  Sebastian,  n. 

Rhetoric,  in  Cairo,  326;  in  Smyrna,  507. 

Rheumatism,  hot-bath  cure  at  Tiberias,  461. 

Rhine,  River,  310,  370;  robbers  of,  350,  441. 

Rhodes,  499,  500  ;  sea-born  tradition  of,  500. 

Rhone,  River,  junction  with  the  Sa3ne,  239. 

Rice,  served  in  oriental  style,  301. 

Richard  I,  exploits  against  Saladin,  487; 
conquest  of  Cyprus  by,  498. 

Richard  III,  49. 

Riggs,  Dr.  Elias,  translator  of  the  Bible  into 
Bulgarian,  568. 

Rings,  ancient  Egyptian,  320,  321. 

Riots,  among  Cairo  students,  326. 

Riviera,  the  French,  137-142  ;  the  Italian,  143. 

Riwaks,  325. 

Rizpah,  the  unparalleled  vigil  of,  429. 

Robbers,  a  stronghold  of,  near  Jenin,  441. 

Robbers'  Glen,  the,  432. 

Robbers'  Spring,  the,  432. 

Robbery,  in  Spain,  70;  in  Egypt,  311,312; 
in  camp,  473,  474. 

Robert,  Christopher  R.,  founder  of  Robert 
College,  554. 

Robert  College,  538,  539,  554. 

Rob'nson,  Prof.  Edward,  on  the  site  of  Ari- 
mathea,  347 ;  identifies  Kirjath-jearim, 
350  ;  explorations  of,  362  ;  on  the  site  of 
Golgotha,  380  ;  swimming  in  the  Dead  Sea, 
406  ;  on  the  site  of  Cana,  458. 

Rock,  Dome  of  the,  378,  381  ;  Peter  the,  475. 

Rock  tombs,  permanency,  in  Syria,  396,  397. 

Rocky  Mountains,  experiences  in  the,  com- 
pared with  Palestine,  432. 

Roda,  island  of,  214;  sugar-factory  at,  257,  258. 

Roderick,  slain  by  the  Saracens,  55. 

Rogers,  Samuel,  fondness  for  Naples,  187 ; 
tribute  to  Memory,  503. 

Romaic  language,  in  Smyrna,  506. 

Roman  architecture,  compared  with  Moorish, 
51- 

Roman  baths,  in  Buda-Pesth,  572. 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  the,  miracles  in,  8  ; 
a  beneficent  aspect  of,  44  ;  in  Spain,  71,  72  ; 
attitude  toward  bullfights,  80 ;  at  Gibral- 
tar, 108 ;  condition  in  Algiers,  122 ;  diplo- 
macy, 129  ;  bearded  priests,  129  ;  strength, 
182;  influence  in  Italy,  204  ;  claim  for  the 
Virgin's  Tree,  219;  renegades  in  the,  325; 
in  Egypt,  332,  333 ;  compared  with  the 
Greek  Church,  333 ;  in  Jerusalem,  421  ; 
claim  regarding  the  house  of  the  Virgin, 
454  ;  relations  of  the  Maronites  with,  478  ; 
France  the  guardian  of,  491 ;  mission  work 
in  Syria,  495. 

Roman  Catholics,  in  Presbyterian  mission 
schools  of  Egypt,  332  ;  their  appellation  in 
the  East,  394;  in  Smyrna,  507;  in  Con- 
stantinople, 547. 

Roman  civilization,  lights  on  ancient,  189. 


Roman  domestic  life,  ancient,  199. 

Roman  mythology,  compared  with  Egyptian, 
320. 

Roman  remains,  at  Malaga,  65;  at  Asyoot,  264. 

Romans,  struggle  with  Visigoths,  =12;  admix- 
ture in  Spanish  population,  66;  limitations 
of  their  explorations,  109  ;  at  Gibraltar, 
113;  occupation  of  Naples,  191;  battle- 
fields of,  in  Egypt,  288  ;  wars  with  Samari- 
tans, 440  ;  road  built  by,  from  Damascus  to 
Palestine  and  Egypt,  479;  colonization  of 
Cyprus,  498 ;  massacre  of,  ordered  by  Mith- 
ridates,  501. 

Rome,  influence  in  Seville,  43 ;  compared  to 
Ceuta,  81;  art  of,  167;  the  Encyclopedic 
City,  174-186 ;  Nero  and  the  burning  of, 
177  ;  influence  of,  181 ;  the  Angel  of,  186  ; 
New,  186  ;  a  riot  in,  201  ;  the  Pyramid:,  old- 
er than,  228  ;  catacombs,  228;  difference  be- 
tween Jerusalem  and,  355  ;  triumphal  arch 
of  Titus  in,  355  ;  recaptures  Jerusalem,  355  ; 
St.  Jerome's  pilgrimage  to  Syria  from,  399  ; 
the  depositary  of  the  holy  manger  in,  399; 
Maronite  College  in,  478  ;  possession  of 
Samos  by,  503;  martyrdom  of  St.  Ignatius 
in,  508  ;  relics  of,  at  Corinth,  527  ;  destroys 
Corinth,  527  ;  secret  of  her  ancient  glory, 
530;  Constantinople  a  rival  to,  532;  similar- 
ity between  Stamboul  and,  536 ;  acquisi- 
tion of  Constantinople,  536  ;  threatened  at- 
tack of  Gauls  on,  560. 

Rosaries,  from  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane, 
365;  manufacture  of,  at  Bethlehem,  397. 

Rose  of  Sharon,  the,  346. 

Roses,  the  venders  of,  in  Cairo,  211  ;  in  Janu- 
ary, 216;  of  Damascus,  490. 

Rosetta  Stone,  copy  of  inscription  on  the,  309. 

Rothschilds,  benefactions,  in  Jerusalem,  418. 

Roumelia,  status  under  the  Treaty  of  Berlin, 
567,  568.  . 

Roumeli  Hissar,  554. 

Route  en  Roi,  the,  29. 

Rovigo,  conquered  by  Venice,  158. 

Royal  Geographical  Society,  Thompson's  re- 
port to,  94,  97. 

Rozinante,  395. 

Rubens,  paintings  by,  in  Florence,  171. 

Rudolph,  suicide  of  the  Archduke,  573. 

Rufus,  Q.  F.,  award  by,  144. 

Rugs,  Smyrna,  505,  506. 

Ruins,  how  to  estimate  the  size  of,  280. 

Russia,  consumption  of  Bordeaux  wines,  2 ; 
a  problem,  10;  foundling  asylums  in,  69; 
belief  in,  regarding  lunatics,  125  ;  naval  ac- 
tion at  Navarino,  205  ;  catacombs  in,  228 ; 
Czar  of,  236,  544 ;  difference  between  the 
Libyan  desert  and  the  steppes  of,  294  ;  the 
patron  of  the  convent  of  Mar  Saba,  403  ; 
supports  the  Russo-Greek  Church  in  Sy- 
ria, 419  ;  attacks  Constantinople,  536 ;  Ar- 
menian churches  in,  549  ;  corn-trade  of,  549; 
magnificence  of,  557  ;  attitude  toward  Prot- 
estants, 560  ;  censorship  of  the  press  in,  562. 

Russian  Church,  musical  services  of,  420,  449. 

Russian  convent  on  Mount  Tabor,  449,  450. 

Russian  Jews  in  Tiberias,  465. 

Russian  National  Church,  relations  with 
Orthodox  Greek  Church,  348. 

Russian  pilgrims,  414. 

Russians,  tower  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  370; 
at  Robert  College,  555. 

Russo-Greek  Church,  in  Syria,  419. 

Ruth,  scene  of  the  story  of,  397 ;  how  her 
story  is  viewed  in  Turkey,  562. 


INDEX. 


607 


Sabbath-breakers,  a  paradise  of,  43. 

Sabbath-breaking,  62  ;  in  Spain,  74,  79,  80 ; 
Marseilles,  137,  i  ;8 ;  Venice,  162,  166. 

Sabbath  rest  on  the  shores  of  Galilee,  461, 
462,  465,  466. 

Sabbath-schools,  in  Egypt,  333. 

"  Sable  Venuses,"  306. 

Saco  River,  the  Jordan  likened  to  the,  467. 

Sacred  cows,  in  Asyoot,  262. 

Sacrilege,  an  English  idea  of,  208. 

"Sacrilegious  Plunder,  the  Depository  of  the 
Results  of,"  209. 

Sacro  Catino,  the,  144. 

Saddlers'  Bazaar,  Damascus,  the,  483,  484. 

Safed,  466. 

Sagasta,  Praxedes  M.,  political  fortunes  of,  25. 

Sah,  tomb  of  governor  of  province  of,  252. 

Sahara,  Desert  of,  120,  293. 

Said  Pasha,  ruined  palace  of,  206  ;  grants  fir- 
man of  concession  to  Lesseps,  336. 

Sailors,  funeral  services  for,  126 ;  immoral 
influence  of,  338. 

St.  Andrea,  birthplace  of  Columbus,  143. 

St.  Anne,  church  of,  at  Jerusalem,  366,  382. 

St.  Bartholomew,  massacre  of,  9. 

St.  Bernard,  the  Great,  view  of  from  Milan 
Cathedral,  153. 

St.  Elias,  Mount,  205. 

St.  Elmo,  hills  of,  192. 

St.  George's  Hall,  Gibraltar,  112. 

St.  John  Lateran,  church  of,  385. 

St.  Lawrence,  rapids  of,  compared  with  the 
First  Cataract,  309. 

St.  Lazarus,  church  of,  at  Lanarca,  498. 

St.  Longinus,  Chapel  of,  394. 

St.  Martin,  Cape,  9. 

St.  Michael,  convent  of,  419. 

St.  Nicholas,  convent  of,  419. 

St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  how  to  view,  370. 

St.  Paul  Without  the  Walls,  Rome,  186 ;  a 
venerated  chain  at,  203. 

St.  Peter's  church,  Rome,  compared  with 
cathedral  of  Seville,  46 ;  compared  with 
cathedral  of  Milan,  149  j  the  dome  of,  169  ; 
a  bewildering  melange  in,  182  ;  inscription 
in,  475  ;  compared  with  Santa  Sophia,  543. 

St.  Petersburg,  Wouverman's  paintings  at,  23.; 
situation,  275  ;  saving  in  distance  to  Bom- 
bay from,  via  Suez  Canal,  338. 

St.  Philip,  cathedral  of,  Algiers,  122. 

St.  Polycarp,  the  church  of,  508. 

St.  Quentin,  battle  of,  30. 

St.  Raphael,  Napoleon's  embarkation  for 
Elba  from,  138. 

Saints,  tombs  in  Algeria,  128. 

Saints — or — sinners  ?  182. 

St.  Spiridon,  convent  of,  410. 

St.  Stephen,  church  of,  at  Pnilae,  309. 

St.  Theodore,  convent  of,  419. 

St.  Vitus's  dance,  equine,  395. 

Sais,  Minerva's  treasury  at,  310. 

Sakeeyeh,  the,  274. 

Sakkara,  the  cemetery  of,  247-250  ;  tombs  at, 
252  ;  Tomb  of  the  Bulls  at,  319  ;  wooden 
statue  from,  320. 

Saladin,  capture  of  Jerusalem  by,  356,  487  ; 
victory  of,  at  Horns  of  Hattin,  461  ;  feats 
and  character  of,  487.  See  also  CRUSAD- 
ERS ;  SARACENS. 

Salaheddin,  builder  of  citadel  of  Cairo,  212. 

Salahiyeh,  Mohammedan  legends  about,  489. 

Salamanca,  the  bull-ring  of,  74  ;  decay  of  the 
University  of,  74. 

Salamis,  515,  521,  524,  528. 


Salmond,  Prof.,  on  the  Seven  Churches  in 
Asia,  508. 

Sal' mica,  city  and  gulf  of,  531. 

Salt,  in  Morocco,  89,  90;  the  supply  of  Jeru- 
salem, 406  ;  of  the  Dead  Sea,  406,  409  ;  pil- 
lars of,  409  ;  incrustations  on  the  plains  of 
Jordan,  410. 

Salt  Lake  City,  visit  to,  324. 

Samaria,  view  of,  from  Ramleh,  347  ;  moun- 
tains of,  347,  435,  442  ;  road  from  Jerusalem 
10,374;  the  woman  of,  436,438;  Hosea's 
prophecy  concerning,  440  •  apostolic  history 
of,  440  ,  hill  of,  440 ;  rivalry  between  Naza- 
reth and,  440 ;  gardens  of,  441  ;  boundary 
between  Galilee  and,  441  ;  fig-culture,  442. 

Samaritan,  traditional  scene  of  the  parable  of 
the  Good,  314. 

Samaritan  Codex  of  the  Pentateuch,  439,  440. 

Samaritans,  agree  as  to  the  site  of  Jacob's 
Well,  435  ;  Keast  of  the  Passover  among,  at 
Gerizim,  436  ;  dwelling-place  of,  438  ;  the 
sacred  place  of  the,  438  ;  physical  charac- 
teristics, 438,  439  ;  numbers,  438,  440;  clean- 
liness, 439  ;  hatred  of  the  Jews,  440  ;  wars 
of,  440;  religious  beliefs,  440. 

Samos,  502,  503. 

Samothracia,  532. 

Samson,  portraits  of,  in  Florence,  171. 

Samuel,  supposed  tomb  of  the  prophet,  350; 
birthplace,  370  ;  burial-place  of,  370  ;  loca- 
tion of  Rachel's  tomb  according  to,  397; 
mission  to  Bethlehem,  397,  398  ;  Hannah's 
visits  to,  434. 

"  Samuel,"  quoted,  480. 

San  Ambrogio,  church  of,  at  Milan,  154. 

San  Angelo,  Monte,  188. 

San  Antonio  River,  analogy  between  the 
Jordan  and  the,  474. 

San  Carlo  Borromeo,  relics  of,  150. 

Sancho  Panza,  10. 

Sand,  preservative  influence  of,  231  ;  obscura- 
tion of  the  Sphinx  by,  232. 
j  Sandal,  the  Holy  Virgin's,  26-28. 
1  Sandstorm,  an  Egyptian,  355. 

Sandwich  Islands,  leprosy  in  the,  426. 

Sanhedrim,  conventions  of,  in  Tiberias,  465. 

Sanity,  the  borderland  between  mental  aber- 
ration and,  425. 

San  Jose,  the  estate  of,  64, 65. 

San  Juan  de  Dios,  lunatic  and  saint,  58. 

San  Lorenzo,  military  influence  of,  30  ;  cathe- 
dral of  Genoa,  144. 

San  Marco,  church  and  piazza  of,  Venice,  162. 

San  Pedro  River,  analogy  between  the  Jor- 
dan and  the,  474. 

San  Roque,  114. 

San  Sebastian,  situation,  n;  bull-ring  of.  n; 
British  siege  and  capture  of,  n  ;  a  water- 
ing-place, 12;  American  Board  schools  at,  12. 

Santa  Croce,  church  of,  Florence,  170;  the 
letters  I  H  S  on,  172. 

Santa  Sophia,  mosque  of,  536,  540-543;  in- 
terior. 543 ;  compared  with  St.  Peter's, 
Rome,  543  ;  a  rival  of,  550. 

Sa&ne,  River,  junction  with  the  Rhone,  239. 

Saracens,  conquests  of,  55;  occupation  of 
Monte  Carlo,  140  ;  remains  at  Assouan,  30^. 

Sarcophagi,  in  British  Museum,  236  ;  in 
Boolak  Museum,  320. 

Sardinia,  boundary  between  France  and,  139. 

Saronic  Gulf,  the,  524,  528. 

Satan,  a  much-needed  statue  of,  141;  the 
synagogue  of.  507. 

Satyrs,  paintings  of,  in  Florence,  171. 


6o8 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Saul,  birthplace  of,  370;  scene  of  his  corona- 
tion, 413  ;  hanging  of  the  seven  sons  of, 
429  ;  last  battle  and  suicide,  443;  consulta- 
tion with  the  Witch  of  Endor,  446  ;  Turkish 
views  of  David's  playing  before,  563. 

Saul  of  Tarsus.     See  PAUL. 

Save  River,  union  with  the  Danube,  571. 

Savonarola,  Jerome,  statue  at  Milan,  154; 
cells  of,  170;  site  of  his  burning,  170. 

Scallop-shells,  at  Jaffa,  343. 

Scammony,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  505. 

Scandal,  in  Jerusalem,  422. 

Scarabaui,  sale  of,  278. 

Scurabauus,  the,  322. 

Sceva,  the  sons  of,  512. 

Schaffhausen,  the  Rhine  at,  310. 

Schaus,  Mr.,  Murillo  canvas  offered  to,  46. 

Schlieman, Dr.H., residence  at  Athens,334,522. 

Scholarship,  the  foundation  of,  146. 

Schuylkill,  the  river,  275. 

Science,  unknown  in  Morocco,  99;  position 
of  Naples  in,  187. 

Scio,  landing  at,  503. 

Scipio,  509. 

Scipios,  tomb  of  the,  177. 

Scopus,  the  hill,  370. 

"  Scorpions  "  of  Gibraltar,  106. 

Scotland,  represented  on  Mars'  Hill,  521. 

Scotland,  Rev.  Mr.,  fellow-traveler,  241. 

Scourging,  Chapel  of  the,  382,  385  ;  Column 
of  the,  385. 

Scribe,  mummy  of  a  priestly,  320. 

Sculpture,  influence  of  Florence  on,  167  ;  in 
Florence  cathedral,  169  ;  Burckhardt  on 
Grecian,  189  ;  in  the  National  Museum, 
Naples,  189  ;  Italy's  eminence  in,  202;  in 
catacombs  at  Asyoot,  264;  at  Thebes,  276; 
at  Temple  of  Koornah,  284  ;  at  the  Rame- 
seum,  284,  287  ;  in  Belzoni's  tomb,  291 ;  at 
Esneh,  316;  renown  of  Ephesus  for,  509  ; 
the  home  of  Phidias,  523 ;  of  ancient 
Greece  and  Rome,  530. 

Scutari,  536,  556. 

Scythians,  use  of  hasheesh  by,  218. 

Sea,  funeral  services  over  the,  126. 

Sea  of  AzoVj  relative  freshness  of,  409. 

Sea  of  Galilee,  the,  461-471  ;  Lynch's  ex- 
plorations from  the,  406 ;  first  glimpse  of, 
449  ;  a  Sabbath  rest  on  the  shores  of.  461  ; 
compared  with  the  lakes  of  Switzerland  and 
Italy,  462;  in  the  time  of  Christ,  467; 
boats  on,  467,  468  ;  a  never-to-be-forgotten 
scene  on,  467,468;  Christ's  sleeping  on,  468  ; 
marauding  Bedouins  on,  468  ;  a  backward 
view  of,  471 ;  climate  around,  471 ;  the  Gos- 
pels as  a  guide-book  to  the  shores  of,  471. 

Seasickness,  81,  338,  515,  548. 

Second  Cataract,  the,  movement  of  F.nglish 
troops  to,  263;  impossibility  of  reaching,  314. 

Sects,  in  the  University  of  Cairo,  325  ;  con- 
tending Mohammedan,  325 ;  the  warfare 
of,  in  F.gypt,  330  ;  in  Smyrna,  507. 

Seilun,  434,  435. 

Seine,  the  river,  275,  547. 

Selim,  dragoman,  428,  431-434,  439,  450,  451, 
491. 

Selim,  Sultan,  abdication  and  death  of,  558. 

Semsars,  98. 

Senado,  the,  of  Spain,  24. 

Seneca,  birthplace,  36 ;  statue  in  Naples, 
189  ;  on  relations  of  crocodiles  and  the  Ten- 
tyrites,  269,  270 ;  on  the  First  Cataract,  310. 

"  Senegal,"  the  steamer,  338,  341. 

"  Senor,"  use  of  the  title,  67. 


Sephardim,  the  sect  of  the,  465. 

Sephela,  43. 

Sepoys,  service  in  Egypt,  268. 

Septuagint,  made  at  Alexandria,  207. 

Sepulcher,  the  Holy.     See  HOLY  SKPCLCHER. 

Seraglio,  of  Constantinople,  the,  539  ;  resem- 
blance to  the  Alhambra,  539. 

Serapeum,  the,  232,  247,  248. 

Seraphim,  six-winged,  543. 

Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  scene  of  the,  461. 

Serpents,  emblematical,  291  ;  the  Column  of 
the  Three,  560. 

Servia,  through,  568,  569  ;  the  capital  of,  571; 
status  under  the  Treaty  of  Berlin,  571  ; 
trade  in  hogs,  571  ;  parallel  between  Cin- 
cinnati and,  571. 

Servian  language,  in  Smyrna,  506. 

Servians,  at  Robert  College,  555  ;  struggle 
for  self-government,  571. 

Servius  Tullius,  174. 

Sesame,  440. 

Sethi  1,  work  at  Thebes,  276;  tomb,  276, 
201  ;  pictorial  remains  of,  280 ;  builds 
Temple  of  Koornah,  284  ;  mummy  of,  319. 

"Seven  Churches  of  Asia,"  the,  508. 

Seven  Hills  of  Rome,  177. 

Seven  Mountains,  the,  112. 

Seven  Sleepers,  legend  of  the,  513. 

Seventh  Commandment,  in  Spain,  69. 

Seven  Towers,  560,  561. 

Seven  wonders  of  the  world,  the,  207 ;  one  of 
the,  499,  500. 

Sevilla,  43. 

Seville,  beggars,  43,  44  ;  Phoenician  commerce 
with,  43  ;  history,  situation,  characteristics, 
etc.,  43-49 ;  decay  of,  49 ;  English  influ- 
ence in,  49  ;  the  alma  mater  of  the  bull- 
ring, 77 ;  Columbus  relics  in,  143 ;  com- 
pared with  Naples,  191. 

Shadoof,  the,  273,  274,  312. 

Shafut,  429. 

Shakers,  colony  of  practical  in  Jerusalem,  425. 

Shakespeare,  quoted,  480. 

Shaloof,  the  heights  of,  337. 

Shame,  the  outpost  of  morals,  190. 

Sharon,  the  plain  of,  345,  347,  349,  350;  the 
rose  of,  346. 

Sheba.  Queen  of,  a  gift  to  Solomon  from,  144. 

Shechem,  former  capital  of  the  Jews,  355  ; 
the  sacred  place  of,  436 ;  ancient,  438  ; 
former  owners  of,  438  ;  Abraham  at,  438  ; 
scene  of  Jeroboam's  and  Rehoboam's  divi- 
sion of  the  kingdom,  438 ;  captured  by 
Simeon  and  Levi,  438  ;  seat  of  Jeroboam  s 
government,  438. 

Sheep,  ancient  rights  concerning,  149 ;  at 
Farshoot,  266  ;  at  Jaffa,  343  ;  in  Palestine, 

35°- 

Sheik,  the  office  of  a,  225,  257,  325,  326. 
Shepherds,  altar  to  the,  at   Bethlehem,  399  ; 

the  Grotto  of  the,  400. 
Sherbet,  Egyptian,  334,  421,  553. 
Sherifs,  212. 

Sheshouan,  perils  in,  tj/j. 
Shiloah,  Isaiah's  description  of  the  waters  of, 

361. 

Shiloh,  site  of,  434,  435. 
Shimiju,  River,  238. 
Shipbuilding,  in  Egypt,  240. 
Ship  of  the  desert,  the,  225.  See  also  CAMELS. 
Shrines,  Mohammedan,  348. 
Shtora,  492. 

Shunammite  woman,  the  home  of  the,  443. 
Shunem,  443,  444. 


INDEX. 


609 


Sichar,  Sichem,  438. 

Sicily,  disputed  sovereignty  of,  no;  Samian 
colony  in,  503. 
idi  Abd-er-Rahman-eth-Thalebi,    tomb  of, 


Sid 


» *  j. 

Sidi  Naaman,  tomb  of,  128. 

Sidon,  masons  and  carpenters  of,  342. 

Sierra  Guadarrama,  the,  19. 

Sierra  Nevada,  the,  50,  112  ;  experiences  in, 
compared  with  Palestine,  432. 

Siesta,  the,  in  Cairo,  212. 

Signs,  belief  in,  in  Italy,  200. 

Silas,  St.  Paul's  wait  for,  521. 

Silence,  a  country  of,  274  ;  depressing  effect  of, 
274  ;  Hood  on,  311  ;  in  a  Turkish  crowd,  549. 

Silk-culture,  146. 

Siloam,  the  brook  and  pool  of,  361,  362. 

Silvela,  Francisco,  oratory  of,  25,  26  ;  demon- 
strations against,  26. 

Silvio  Pellico,  imprisonment  of,  165. 

Silwan,  road  from  Jerusalem  to,  374. 

Simeon,  the  alleged  house  of,  396  ;  capture 
of  Shechem  by  Levi  and,  438. 

Simonides,  the  birthplace  of,  500. 

Simon  the  Cyrenian,  bearing  the  cross,  386. 

Simon  the  leper,  house  of,  414. 

Simon  the  tanner,  St.  Peter's  residence  with, 

342.  343- 

Simplon  route,  termination  of  the,  154. 

"  Sinai  and  Palestine,"  287. 

Singing,  the  finest  in  Rome,  186. 

Sinjil,  camp  at,  432,  433. 

Sinners — or — saints?  182. 

Sioot,  Si-oot,  Sioout,  Siout.     See  ASYOOT. 

Sirius,  worship  of,  in  Egypt,  267. 

Sisera,  the  overthrow  of,  445,  446. 

Sisters  of  Charity,  in  Constantinople,  547. 

Sistine  Chapel,  the,  186. 

Siut.     See  ASYOOT. 

Skepticism,  among  Mohammedans,  325. 

Skull,  the  place  of  a,  386. 

Slander,  190. 

Slavery,  in  Morocco,  91  ;  Algerine,  127,  128  ; 
in  Palestine.  431  ;  in  Turkey,  561. 

Slaves,  rise  of  a  body  of  Turkish,  559. 

Slave  trade,  gi. 

Slavonians,  in  Smyrna,  506. 

Sleepers,  the  Seven,  513. 

Slivnp,  567. 

"  Smith,  Antiquity,"  278. 

Smith,  Dr.  Eli,  connection  with  the  Ameri- 
.  can  Mission  in  Syria,  495. 

Smoking,  in  Spain,  68  ;  the  tobacco-pipes  of 
Cairo,  211.  See  also  HASHEESH  ;  OPIL-M  ; 
TOBACCO. 

Smugglers,  in  Gibraltar,  107. 

Smyrna,  arrival  at,  504 ;  mosquitoes,  504  ; 
hotels,  504  ;  a  babel  in,  504-506 ;  scenery, 
504,  505  ;  donkeys,  505  ;  trade,  505,  506  ; 
population  of,  506.  509 ;  history,  5o6-5<x)  ; 
riches,  507  ;  Christ's  praise  of  the  church  in, 
507  ;  preeminent  interest  of  Christians  in, 
507  ;  climate,  507  ;  tribulation  of,  507,  508  ; 
earthquake,  508  ;  ruined  amphitheater,  508; 
martyrdom  of  St.  Polycarp,  508  ;  "  the  an- 
gel of  the  church  at,"  508 ;  importance, 
508,  509  ;  distance  from  Ephesus,  509  ;  sale 
of  rings  and  talismans  at,  513  ;  return  from 
Ephesus  to,  515  ;  Armenian  churches  in, 
549  ;  Gulf  of,  504.  505. 

Smyth,  Dr.  Piazzi,  on  the  Pyramid  of  Cheops, 

Snake-charmers,  89. 

Snipe,  on  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  409. 


'  Snuff,  use  of,  by  Jews  in  Jerusalem,  418. 

Soap,  manufacture  of,  in  Nalmlus,  438. 

Socialism,  in  Paris,  2. 

Social  ostracism  in  Spain,  72. 

Society  of  Friends,  represented  on  Mars'  Mill, 
521. 

Socin,  Prof.,  on  Mohammedan  manners  and 
customs  324. 

Socrates,  statue  of,  in  Naples,  189  ;  death,  512. 

Sodom,  popular  beliefs  concerning  the  de- 
struction of,  405,  410. 

Sofia,  568 ;  convention  of  Protestant  mission- 
workers  at,  568. 

Soldiers,  English  and  Spanish  contrasted,  114. 

Solomon,  his  commerce  with  Tarshish,  108; 


gifts  from  the  Queen  of  Sheba  to,  144,  219; 
transactions  with  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  342  ; 
site  of  his  coronation       "     ' 
building   of   the   Te 
praying-spot  of,  381. 
Solomon  s  Porch,  377. 


site  of  his  coronation,  358  ;  idolatry  of,  361  • 
building   of   the   Temple   by,  373 ;  alleged 


378  ;  columns  from,  in  church  at  Ilethlehem, 
398,  399. 

Solon,  at  Heliopolis.  219  ;  in  Cyprus,  498. 

"  Song  of  Solomon,"  quoted,  346. 

Sooadee,  village  of,  251. 

Sophocles,  works  of,  520  ;  the  home  of,  523. 

Sothis,  the  worship  of,  in  Egypt,  267. 

Soubirous,  I'ernadette,  visions  of,  4-8. 

Soudan,  the,  commerce,  90 ;  English  military 
movements  against,  263  ;  trade  with  Asyoot, 
263;  invaded  by  Amenophis  III,  276; 
effects  of  war,  305  ;  graves  of  British  soldiers 
from,  306  ;  fanatical  devotion  in,  325 ;  der- 
vishes from,  329;  slave  trade,  431. 

Soudanese,  503. 

Soul,  Egyptian  belief  in  the  immortality  of 
the,  231;  Egyptian  idea  of  the  voyage  of 
the,  291. 

Soult,  Marshal,  capture  of  Seville,  46. 

Sound,  two  kinds  of,  299. 

South  America,  British  area  and  population, 

"5' 

Southern  Cross,  the.  315,  316. 

Sow,  the  worship  of  a  white,  219. 

Spain,  boundary  between  France  and,  9;  the 
mother  of  America,  10  ;  aspects  and  associa- 
tions of,  10;  Irving's  histories  of,  10;  her 
Quixotic  people,  10;  the  Queen  of,  12;  the 
King  of,  12,  20;  the  Red  Republic  in,  20; 
monarchy  in,  20 ;  troops,  20,  21  ;  ministe- 
rial crisis.  24  ;  form  of  government,  24-26; 
Presbyterianism,  28  ;  peculiarities  of  cathe- 
drals. 35,  46;  first  Roman  colony  in,  36; 
tobacco  monopoly  in,  43;  Phoenician  com- 
merce with,  43  ;  national  characteristic  of, 
44!  early  history,  52  ;  irruption  of  Visigoths 
into,  52  ;  settlement  of  Vandals  in,  52  ;  con- 
solidation, 55  ;  Saracen  invasion,  55 ;  Mus- 
sulman conquest,  55  ;  expulsion  of  the 
Moors,  56  ;  prevalence  of  blindness,  62  ; 
railroad-building,  64  ;  sugar-planting,  64! 
climate,  66 :  peculiarities  of  the  people,  66- 
73  (see  also  SPANIARDS);  amusements  in, 
68;  English  influence,  60;  foundling-asy- 
lums. 69;  priests,  71;  religious  freedom,  71 ; 
the  confessional,  71;  Protestant  activities, 
71-73  ;  social  ostracism  in,  72  •  religious  per- 
secution. 72  :  Sabbath-breaking  in,  74,  70, 
80 ;  bullfights,  74-80;  the  "Botany  Bay 


6io 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


of,  81 ;  the  Moor's  key  to,  81  ;  the  most  im- 
pressive thing  in,  99,  100  ;  capture  of  Gibral- 
tar by,  i TO;  war  of  the  Succession,  no; 
blackmailed  by  Algiers,  127 ;  interest  in 
the  Suez  Canal,  336;  Jonah's  voyage  to, 
342  ;  flora,  346. 

Spangled  ornaments,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Spaniards,  gayety  of,  13,  20;  norsemanship 
of,  29;  influence  on  Toledo,  34  ;  peculiari- 
ties of,  66-73  !  distinction  between  the  in- 
dividual and  the  corporate  capacity,  69;  at 
Gibraltar,  113;  occupation  of  Naples,  191; 
compared  with  Italians,  200. 

Spanish,  the  purest,  34. 

Spanish  Jews,  465. 

S  parta,  possession  of  Samos  by,  503. 

Spanans,  strife  for  Byzantium,  536. 

Sphinx,  the,  231-235;  baseball  before  the,  228  ; 
compared  with  the  Old  Man  of  the  Moun- 
tain, 235. 

Sphinxes,  discovery  by  Mariette  Bey,  248  ;  an 
avenue  of,  248,  279,  280,  319  ;  in  the  Boolak 
Museum,  319. 

Spices,  trade  in,  at  Asyoot,  263. 

Spinning  dervishes,  the,  326,  553. 

Spirito,  convent  of,  419. 

Spofford,  Mr.,  leader  of  American  colony  at 
Jerusalem,  425. 

Sponge-fishing  at  Symi,  500. 

Sponges,  trade  in,  in  Smyrna,  506. 

Sprague,  Horatio  J.,  U.  S.  Consul  at  Gibral- 
tar, 105. 

Spring,  a  wonderful,  214. 

Spurgeon, Rev. Charles  H., liking  f  or  Mentone, 
142  ;  satire  on  genealogy,  172,  173. 

Ssout.     See  ASYOOT. 

Stables,  usual  position  in  Palestine,  398. 

Stables  of  Solomon,  the,  381,  382. 

Stadium,  at  Athens,  519,  520  ;  of  Ephesus, 
the,  510. 

Stamboul,  536,  537,  539,  556. 

Stanley,  Dean  A.  P.,  on  the  Sphinx,  235  ;  on 
the  site  of  Thebes,  275 ;  on  the  statue  of 
Rameses  II,  287  ;  opinion  concerning  the 
house  of  Simon  the  tanner,  343  ;  on  Syrian 
tombs  and  wells,  396,  397  ;  on  the  tradition 
of  Bethlehem,  398  ;  scale  of  fresh  waters, 
409;  on  the  si'e  of  Jacob's  Well,  435  ;  on 
the  scene  of  Abraham's  sacrifice,  436  •  on 
the  scene  of  the  encounter  between  Abra- 
ham and  Melchizedek,  436  ;  on  the  situa- 
tion of  Nazareth,  453  ;  on  the  miraculous 
removal  of  the  Virgin's  house  to  Loretto, 

Stanley,  Henry  M.,  discovery  of  the  sources 
of  the  Nile,  .311. 

"Stanze,"  Raphael's,  186. 

Star  in  the  East,  the  spot  where  it  was  seen, 
397- 

Stars,  Galileo's  teaching,  167. 

Statues:  of  Amenophis  276,  270;  Amen-ra, 
284  ;  Apollo,  at  Constantinople,  560  ;  Christ, 
at  Rome,  203;  the  Colossi  of  Egypt,  294- 
297 :  of  Greek  philosophers  in  Egypt, 
248;  Memnon,  297;  archangel  Michael, 
171;  Napoleon  I,  150;  Nero,  287;  Ra- 
Em-Ka,  320;  Rameses  II,  277,  287;  St. 
Bartholomew,  150;  St.  Peter,  at  Rome, 
182  ;  Taharka,  321  ;  in  the  Boolak  Museum, 
310-321 ;  in  Florence,  167,  169,  171,  172  ;  at 
Milan,  150,  154;  at  Monte  Carlo,  140;  in 
the  National  Museum,  Naples,  189,  190  ; 
from  Pompeii,  196;  in  Rome,  177,  178  ;  in 
Venice,  165  ;  manufacture  of,  at  Assouan, 


302  ;  the  material  of  ancient  Egyptian,  306  ; 
profane  use  of,  520. 

Steam,  its  influence  at  Gibraltar,  114. 

Steamships,  contrasted  passages  of,  i ;  on  the 
Nile,  241  ;  drive  away  crocodiles,  273. 

Stelae,  sale  of,  278. 

Stephanos,  Father,  419,  497. 

Stephen,  the  persecution  of,  498. 

Stephenson,  George,  builder  of  railroad  from 
Alexandria  to  Cairo,  209. 

Step  Pyramid,  the,  247,  248. 

Stockholm,  the  Venice  of  the  North,  161,  162. 

Stolen  property,  recovering  in  Egypt,  312. 

Stone  of  Anointment,  the,  390. 

Stone  of  Welfare,  the,  250. 

Stone  peas,  397. 

Storks,  on  the  Nile,  250  ;  in  the  plain  of  Es- 
draelon,  442  ;  in  Asia  Minor,  510. 

Storms,  on  our  departure  from  Jerusalem, 
429,  432,  433. 

Story-tellers,  89. 

Strabo,  mention  of  Egyptian  antiquities,  248; 
record  of  Thebes,  277  ;  on  the  statue  of 
Memnon,  297. 

Straight,  the  street  called,  488. 

Straus,  Oscar,  U.  S.  Minister  to  Turkey,  550. 

Street,  George  E.,  on  Toledo  cathedral,  35. 

Strength,  allegorical  figure  on  Columbus's 
statue,  143  ;  feats  of  agility  and,  236,  329. 

Strobel,  E.  H.,  U.  S.  Minister  at  Madrid,  24. 

Styx,  origin  of  the  fable  concerning  Charon 
and  the,  252. 

Sublime  Porte,  the,  540. 

Sue,  Eugene,  outdone,  282. 

Suez,  proposed  railroad  to  Cairo  from,  209; 
distance  from  Port  Said,  337  ;  Plain  of,  337. 

Suez  Canal,  the,  209,  215,  221,  335-338,  524. 

Sugar-cane,  258. 

Sugar-factory,  an  Egyptian,  257,  258. 

Sugar-planting,  around  Malaga,  64;  on  the 
Nile,  251. 

Suicides,  at  Milan,  154  ;  from  heights,  154. 

Sulem,  a  honey-field,  443,  444. 

Suliman,  the  first  to  plant  the  Crescent  in 
Europe,  532. 

Suliman  the  Magnificent,  surrender  of  Rhodes 
to,  500  ;  mosque  of,  550. 

Sultan  of  Turkey,  celebration  of  his  birthday, 
544  ;  weekly  journey  for  worship,  550,  553. 

Sultan  Hassan,  Mosque  of,  213,  216. 

Sultans,  portraits  of  the,  557 ;  violent  deaths 
of,  561. 

Sumner,  Charles,  the  biographer  of,  495. 

Sun,  the,  worship  of,  219  ;  symbol  of  human 
life,  226  ;  the  sacred  emblem  of,  268  ;  sup- 
posed effect  on  statue  of  Memnon,  297,  298. 

Sunstroke,  threatened,  479. 

Sun-worshipers,  extinction  of,  219. 

Superior,  Lake,  view  on  the  road  to  Damas- 
cus like  to,  479. 

Supernatural  cures,  8. 

Superstition,  in  Spain,  10,  71 ;  among  Mo- 
hammedans, 99,  125  ;  concerning  St.  Peter. 
181  ;  in  Italy,  200;  concerning  the  Mosque 
of  Amer,  214  ;  on  the  Nile,  250  ;  among  the 
Nubians,  312,  313  ;  among  Tartars,  313  ; 
among  Jews  of  Jerusalem,  418  ;  in  Bulgaria, 
568. 

Surf-boats  at  Nemours,  119. 

Surveying,  study  of,  in  Egypt,  240. 

Sweating  column,  a,  540. 

Sweden,  Bernadotte,  king  of,  8. 

Sweet  Waters  of  Asia,  the,  561. 

Sweet  Waters  of  Europe,  the,  561. 


INDEX. 


6n 


"  Swellings  of  Jordan,"  410. 

Swimming  in  the  Dead  Sea,  406,  409. 

Swine,  the  devils  and  the  herd  of,  471. 

Switzerland,  mountains  of,  compared  with  the 
Atlas  range,  134;  first  road  to  Italy  from, 
157  ;  fertility,  293  ;  the  Sea  of  Galilee  com- 
pared with  the  lakes  of,  462. 

Sword,  alliance  with  the  Koran,  543 ;  Mo- 
hammedan veneration  for  the,  543. 

Swords,  of  Cyprus,  the,  498. 

Sychem,  438. 

Syene,  310.     See  also  ASSOUAN. 

Syenite,  distinguished  from  granite,  306. 

Sylla,  500,. 

Symbolic  mythology  of  Egypt,  321,  322. 

Symbols,  the  origin  of  Scripture,  431. 

Symi,  the  divers  of,  500. 

Symplegades,  the,  548. 

Syouth.     See  ASYOOT. 

Syria,  assassins  in,  218  ;  boundaries  of  Egypt 
extended  into,  276;  sculpture  of  historic 
scene  in,  28^,  287  ;  permanency  of  wells  and 
rock  tombs  in,  396,  397;  St.  Jerome's  pil- 


UI^K  Luiuua  in,   jyu,   jyy  ,  *j^>   jciumc  >  jji 
;rimage    from   Rome    to,   399 ;  the   Greek 
Church  in,  419;  the   Russo-Greek  Church 
n,  419  ;  troubles  in,  477  ;  extinct  volcanoes, 
78 ;  horses,  483  ;  the  most  important  sea- 

;ort    and    commercial   town   in,   492  ;    the 
est   physician  in,   495 ;  mission   work    in, 
495,  496  ;  St.  Paul's  voyage  to,  498. 


Tabernacle,  site  of  the  first,  434. 

Tableaux,  living,  258. 

Tablets,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Tabor,    Mount,     Barak's     encampment     on, 

445  ;    monasteries   on,   449,  450 ;   supposed 

scene   of  the  Transfiguration,  475,  476  ;  in 

the  time  of  Joshua,  476. 

Tacitus,  records  the  eruption  of  Vesuvius,  196. 
Tagus,  River,  34. 
Taharka,  statue  of,  321. 
Talmudists,  in  Tiberias,  465. 
Tambourines,  use,  by  howling  dervishes,  329. 
Tangier,   landing  at,  82  ;  scenery,   incidents, 

people,   etc.,  82-100;  slave-market  in,  91; 

prison,  91,  92  ;  climate,  93  ;  secret  vices  in, 

93  ;  the  eye  of  Africa,  100;  Bay  of,  82. 
Tarbes,  bishop  of,  ^. 

Taric,  invades  Spain  and  kills  Roderick,  55. 
Tarifa  Point,  in. 

Tariff,  the  inconveniences  of  a  protective,  10. 
Tarik,  Gebal,  landing  at  Gibraltar,  no. 
Taipeian  Rock,  177. 
Tarquin  the  Elder,  174. 
Tarquin  the  Superb,  174. 
Tarshish,  the  navy  of,  108  ;  Jonah's  voyage 

from  Joppa  to,  342. 
Tartars,   superstition   among,  313;  costume, 

547  ;  in  Constantinople,  547  ;  of  the  Crimea, 

the,  559. 

Tartessus,  the  supposed  Tarshish,  342. 
Tax,  the  mosque,  550. 
Taxation,  in  Morocco,  98  ;  in  Egypt,  215. 
Taylor,  Bayard,  on  the  Boolak  Museum,  322. 
Taylor,  Dr.  William  M.,  130. 
Tea,  a  cup  of,  for  the  Second  Coming,  422. 
Tears  of  Christ,  the.  200. 
Teeth,  curious,  in  a  mummy,  320. 
Tekke,  the  convent  of,  553. 
Tel-el-kadi,  472. 

32 


Telescope,  Galileo's  exposition  of  the,  167. 

Tell  region  of  Algeria,  no,  130. 

Tempe,  the  classic  vale  of,  503. 

Tempio  di  Creinazione,  at  Milan,  154. 

Temple,  the  building  of  Solomon's,  342  ;  r»- 
built  by  Zerubbabcl,342;  route  of  materials 
for  the,  346;  burning  of  the,  356;  elevation 
of,  366 ;  the  building  of  the,  373 ;  the 
Beautiful  Gate  of  the,  374 ;  total  disappear- 
ance of  the  second,  377  ;  Herod's,  377  ;  de- 
struction of  the,  by  Titus,  377 ;  supposed 
site  of  Solomon's,  377. 

Temple  of  Diana,  the,  511 ;  compared  with  the 
Parthenon,  512;  destruction  of,  512;  com- 
pared with  the  Olympicum  of  Athens,  519. 

Temple  of  Gpornah,  or  Koornah,  284. 

Temple  of  Nike,  520. 

Temple  of  Rameses  II,  284. 

Temple  of  the  Sun,  219;  contribution  to 
Santa  Sophia,  540. 

Temples,  of  Ephesus,  510-512 ;  reasons  for 
Egyptian,  538. 

Temptation,  the  scene  of  Christ's,  413. 

Tenedos.  532. 

Tent-making,  in  Ephesus,  513. 

Tentyrites,  the  crocodile  and  the,  269,  270. 

Tersato,  removal  of  the  Virgin's  house  from 
Nazareth  to,  454. 

Texas,  analogy  between  the  Jordan  and 
rivers  of,  474. 

Thames,  the  river,  271;,  370,  547. 

Thames  Embankment,  Cleopatra's  Needle 
on  the,  208. 

Thebaid,  the,  302,  310. 

Thebes,  approach  to,  275  ;  situation,  scenery, 
mystery,  and  history,  275-278 ;  trade  in 
antiquities,  278 ;  besieged  by  Ptolemy, 
282;  the  plain  of,  294 ;  entertainment  by 
U.  S.  consul  at,  290,  300;  material  of  the 
temples  of,  302  :  a  collection  of  photographs 
of,  303  ;  Ethiopian  occupation  of,  321  ;  con- 
versation with  a  Mohammedan  at,  333: 
difference  between  Jerusalem  and,  355. 

Themistocles,  tomb  of,  515 ;  the  city  of,  523. 

Theodosius,  Emperor,  birthplace,  49;  paint- 
ing of,  150;  the  Christian,  177;  consults  a 
holy  monk,  264 ;  supposed  foundation  of 
Temple  of  Denderah  under,  267 ;  abolishes 
the  Christian  religion  in  Egypt,  309. 

Theodosius  II,  rebuilds  church  of  Santa  So- 
phia, 540. 

Theopompus,  birthplace  of,  503. 

Theseus,  the  city  of,  5«9-_ 

Thessalonians,  Paul's  Epistle  to  the,  531. 

Thessalonica,  1531. 

Thief,  the  penitent,  alleged  birthplace  of,  340. 

Thieves,  site  of  the  crosses  of  the,  394. 

Thompson,  Joseph,  reports  travels  in  Moroc- 
co, 94,  97. 

Thomson,  Dr.,  on  the  story  of  Napoleon  at 
Jaffa,  344  ;  on  the  rose  of  Sharon,  346;  on 
the  site  of  Arimaihea,  347 ;  on  the  Via 
Dolorosa,  386  ;  on  the  situation  of  Nabulus, 
441;  connection  with  the  American  Mission 
in  Syria,  495. 

Thorns,  the  crown  of,  385. 

Thothmes  I,  builds  at  Kamak,  276;  intro- 
duces the  horse  into  Egypt,  2716;  the 
daughter  of,  280. 

Thothmes  II,  extends  the  boundaries  of 
Egypt,  276;  coffin  and  mummy  of,  320. 

Thothmes  III,  growth  of  Thebes  under,  276  ; 
campaigns  of,  282;  sacrificial  tablets  of,  310. 

Thrace,  Samian  colony  in,  503  ;  ancient,  567. 


6l2 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Thracian  Bosporus,  the,  535. 

Three  Serpents,  the  Column  of  the,  560. 

Thucydides,  historian  of  the  Greeks,  503 ; 
the  city  of,  523. 

Thy,  tomb  of,  249,  250. 

Tiber,  River,  177,  503. 

Tiberias,  hot  baths  at,  461  ;  sanitary  condi- 
tion, 461,  466;  Jewish  burial-ground  at, 
465  ;  importance,  465 ;  divine  service  at, 
465;  bigotry  of  Jews  in,  466  ;  climate,  466  ; 
in  the  time  of  Christ,  467  ;  defeat  of  the 
Christians  by  Saladin  at,  487. 

Tiberias,  Sea  of.     See  SEA  OF  GALILEE. 

Tiberius,  the  Saturnine,  177  ;  construction  of 
Temple  of  Denderah  in  time  of,  267  ;  his 
name  in  the  Temple  of  Denderah,  269 ; 
contribution  to  the  Temple  of  Isis,  309; 
building  of  Tiberias  in  his  honor,  465. 

Tiger  and  bull  fight,  78. 

Tigris,  River,  highway  Indian  commerce,  158. 

Tih,  tomb  of,  249,  250. 

Time,  the  gnawing  tooth  of,  519. 

Time  and  the  Pyramids,  221. 

Timotheus,  Timothy,  the  first  bishop  of 
Ephesus,  513 ;  at  Ephesus  and  in  Mace- 
donia, 513  ;  St.  Paul's  wait  for,  521. 

Timsah,  Lake,  337. 

Tinkling  ornaments,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Tirhakah.  statue  of,  321. 

Titian,  paintings  by,  23,  171. 

Titles,  use  of  high-sounding,  67  ;  of  nobility, 
172  ;  fondness  of  Italians  for,  200. 

Titus,  the  Obstinate,  177 ;  the  Triumphal 
Arch  of,  178,  355;  siege  of  Jerusalem.  355, 
356  ;  route  of  the  army  of,  into  Jerusalem, 
370;  watches  the  destruction  of  the  Tem- 
P'ei  377  i  celebrates  his  victories  at  Banias, 

Tobacco,  government  monopoly  of  manufac- 
ture in  Spain,  43,  44  ;  forbidden  in  Tangier, 
93  ;  use  of  hasheesh  with,  218  ;  Druse  hor- 
ror of,  478  ;  in  Damascus,  483. 

Tokay  wine,  the  manufacture  of,  572. 

Toledo,  mountains  of,  19  ;  situation,  charac- 
teristics, etc.,  34-36  ;  the  language  of,  34  ; 
see,  34  ;  population,  34  ;  cathedral,  35,  36  ; 
the  castle,  36  ;  cutlery  and  swords  of,  36. 

Tomb  of  the  Bulls,  the,  319. 

Tophane,  536  ;  significance  of  the  name,  548. 

Tornos,  Cipriano,  Presbyterian  minister  in 
Madrid,  28. 

Torre  Annunziata,  193. 

Torture-chamber  of  Venice,  165. 

Toulon,  138. 

Tourist  companies,  the  advantages  of,  342  ; 
rival,  342. 

Tournefort,  Joseph  P.  de,  on  the  approach  to 
Constantinople,  532. 

Tower  of  David,  the,  417,  419,  422. 

Tower  of  London,  likeness  to  the  Seven 
Towers  of  Constantinople,  560. 

Towei  of  Ramleh,  347. 

Towle,G.  M., "Principalities  of  Danube,"  571. 

Trade  winds,  influence  of,  in  Africa,  239. 

Tradition,  verifying  a,  381. 

Traditions,  land  of,  344 ;  of  Mohammedans, 
378,  381  ;  a  wilderness  of,  385  ;  ludicrous, 
417  ;  concerning  tomb  of  Maimonides,  465. 

Trafalgar.  Cape,  82. 

Trajan,  birthplace,  49 ;  Triumphal  Arch  of, 
162;  the  Grand,  177;  Column  of,  178;  con- 
tribution to  the  Temple  of  Isis,  309. 

Transfiguration,  the  scene  of,  450,  475,  476 ; 
Raphael's  painting  of,  186. 


Translator,  the  perils  of  a  Turkish.  563-565. 

Transmigration  of  souls.  Druse  belief  in,  478. 

Trappist  monks,  enterprising,  203. 

Treating,  the  Greek  custom  of,  529. 

Treaty  of  Berlin,  status  of  Servia  under  the, 
57'; 

Trebizond,  captured  by  Venice,  158. 

Treviso,  conquered  by  Venice,  158. 

Tribes,  the  Gate  of  the,  374. 

Tribuna,  the,  Florence.  167. 

Tribute-money,  Christ's  payment  of,  468. 

Trinity,  Mohammedan  denial  of  the,  323,  378. 

Triumphal  Arches:  at  Milan,  157;  of  Con- 
stantine,  181  ;  of  Nero,  162  ;  of  Titus,  178  ; 
of  Trajan,  162. 

Troas,  contributions  to  Santa  Sophia,  540. 

Tro^yllium,  503. 

Tunis,  120. 

Turanians,  in  Smyrna,  506. 

Turbans,  in  Cairo,  212  ;  Coptic,  -332. 

Turbulence,  not  an  Italian  characteristic, 
201. 

Turk,  explanation  of  the  term,  559  ;  the  odium 
of  the  name,  560;  anecdote  of  a,  560. 

Turkey,  battle  of  Navarino,  205  ;  the  Sultan's 
gift  to  Napoleon  III,  382 ;  delays  of  the 
government,  489 ;  Greece's  successful  re- 
volt against,  528  ;  grants  charter  to  Robert 
College,  554;  portraits  of  the  Sultans.  557 ; 
status  of  Protestants,  560  ;  censorship  of  the 
press,  562-565 ;  perils  of  a  translator  in, 
563-565 ;  an  expurgated  hymnal  in,  565 ; 
changes  under  the  Treaty  of  Berlin,  567. 

Turkish  baths,  use  of,  in  Buda-Pesth,  572. 

Turkish  Empire,  feelings  on  approaching 
the,  341  ;  the  power  of  the,  400. 

Turkish  guards,  bribery  of,  474. 

Turkish  power,  origin  of  the,  559. 

Turkish  soldiers,  at  the  Tower  of  David,  417. 

Turkomans  of  Khiva,  the,  559. 

Turks,  in  Gibraltar,  107  ;  in  Assouan,  305  ; 
opposition  to  Miss  Mangan's  mission  at 
Jaffa,  343,  344  ;  their  impartial  control  of 
Jerusalem,  425  ;  in  Smyrna,  506  ;  religious 
freedom  granted  by  the,  507 ;  evacuation 
of  Greece  by  the,  516  ;  capture  of  Corinth 
by,  528;  final  capture  of  Constantinople,  536; 
pilgrimages  of,  to  Joshua's  tomb,  548 ;  at 
Robert  College,  555  ;  origin,  559  ;  number, 
559  ;  characteristics,  559-561  ;  toleration  of 
the,  559  ;  treatment  of  women,  559,  561, 
562  ;  wit,  560  ;  hospitality,  561  ;  etiquette, 
561,  562  ;  seat  of  government  at  Adrianople, 
567  ;  wars  of  the  Servians  with  the,  571. 

Turks'  blood,  571. 

Turquoises,  ancient  Egyptian,  321. 

Tuscany,  168,  169. 

Tusks,  trade  in,  at  Asyoot,  263. 

Twain,  Mark,  fame  of,  236,  237. 

Typhoid  fever,  outbreak  on  a  Nile  steamer, 
317,  318  ;  Mr.  McFadden  sick  with,  317-319. 

Tyrannus,  Paul  in  the  school  of,  512. 

Tyre,  masons  and  carpenters  of,  342. 

Tyropoeon,  the  Valley  of,  356. 

Udine,  conquered  by  Venice,  158. 

"  Ullah-u-Akbar,"  487. 

Ulterior  Spain,  36. 

Umbrellas,  use  of,  in  Egypt,  277. 

Unbelief,  not  necessarily  a  sign  of  decaying 

religion,  325. 
Unclean   animals,  Mohammed's  prohibition 

of,  323. 
United  Kingdom,  area  and  population,  115. 


INDEX. 


613 


United  Presbyterian  Church,  mission  in  Mad- 
rid, 28  ;  mission  at  Asyoot,  264;  mission  in 
Egypt,  33».  333- 

United  States,  consumption  of  Hord-aux 
wines,  2  ;  France's  aid  to,  2,  3  ;  the  protect- 
ive tariff  of,  10 ;  improvident  waste  of 
forests  in,  19  ;  use  of  nigh— oundmg  titles 
in,  67;  slave-trade  in,  91;  insignificant 
naval  force,  104  ;  consular  service,  105  ;  war 
with  Algiers,  127,  128;  beauties  of,  192; 
Italians  in,  201,  202  ;  Cleopatra's  Needle 
presented  to,  208;  irrigation,  240;  Protes- 
tant mission  in  Egypt  from,  312,  333  ;  credit 
due  to,  for  Dead  Sea  exploration.  406; 
leprosy  in,  426,  427 ;  a  reminder  of  slavery 
in,  431;  represented  on  Mars'  Hill,  521; 
money  raised  for  Robert  College  in,  554. 

Unity  of  Ciod,  the,  Mohammedan  belief  in, 
378  ;  scene  of  revelation  of,  to  Abraham,  490. 

Uriah  Heep,  a  Palestine  variety  of,  451,  452. 

Urumia,  Lake,  relative  saltness  of,  409. 

Utah,  irrigation  in,  240;  plural  marriages 
324  ;  salt  deposits,  406. 

Uzzah,  his  offense  and  his  punishment,  350. 

"  Vain  thing  for  safety,  a,"  396. 

Valencia,  the  bull-ring  in,  74,  77. 

Valois,  Margaret  of,  persecutes  Calvin,  8. 

Van  Benschoten,  Prof.,  letters  from,  522. 

Vandals,  in  Seville,  43;  ravage  France,  52; 
struggles  with  Visigoths,  52 ;  settlement  in 
Spain,  52  ;  in  Egypt,  249. 

Vanderbilts,  a  member  of  the  family  arouses 
jealousy  in  Constantinople,  557. 

Van  Dyck,  paintings  by,  in  Florence,  171. 

Van  Dyke,  Dr.,  connection  with  the  Ameri- 
can Mission  in  Syria,  495;  translates  the 
Bible  into  Arabic,  495. 

Vanity,  a  weakness  of  human  nature,  67  ;  in- 
centive to  suicide,  154 ;  an  Italian  charac- 
teristic, 200. 

Vantine,  A.  A.,  504,  506. 

Varm,  River,  139. 

Vatican,  the,  185,  186  ;  neglect  of  Jerusalem 
by,  421. 

Vegetable-peddlers,  in  Egypt,  210. 

Vegetables,  immense,  in  Jaffa,  344. 

Vegetarian  monks,  404. 

Vegetarians,  a  paradise  for,  43. 

Vehemence,  an  Italian  characteristic,  201. 

Veil,  the  Mohammedan,  547. 

Veils,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Velasquez,  paintings  in  Madrid,  23. 

Vendetti,  Italian,  200. 

Vendramin  Calergi,  the  palace,  166. 

Venice,  dread  of  the  Moors  at,  99 :  black- 
mailed by  Algiers,  127;  history,  158;  con- 
quest of  Dalmatia  by,  158  ;  decay  of  com- 
merce, 158 ;  situation,  158-161  ;  gondolas, 
161 ;  Piazza  and  Church  of  San  Marco,  162  ; 
a  common  error  regarding,  162 ;  Palace  of 
the  Doges,  165 ;  Bridge  of  Sighs,  165 ; 
Roman  Catholic  mission  church,  166;  Grand 
Canal,  166;  Campanile,  166;  Galileo  at,  167; 
a  wonderful  ass  at,  202  ;  relics  of,  at  Cor- 
inth, 527  ;  capture  of  Aero-Corinth  by,  528. 

Venice  of  the  North,  the,  161,  162. 

Venus,  paintings  of,  in  Florence,  171  ;  wor- 
ship of,  in  Corinth,  528. 

"  Venuses,  sable,"  306. 

Vermont,  compared  with  Nazareth,  453. 

Verona,  conquered  by  Venice,  158  ;  a  won- 
derful ass  at,  202. 

Veronica,  St.,  tomb  of,  386;  tradition,  386. 


Verus,  Q.  Granius,  of  Pompeii,  100. 

Vespasian,  expedition  against  Palestine,  355. 

Vesuvius,  188,  193-199  ;  eruptions,  193,  195, 
196  ;  railroad  up,  193  ;  ascent,  193-196;  his- 
tory, 195  ;  work,  1^6-199 ;  view  from,  528. 

Via  di  Circonvallazione  a  Monte,  145. 

Vja  Dolorosa,  the,  382,  ^85.  386. 

Vice,  influence  of,  on  insanity,  217,  218  ;  at 
Port  Said,  338. 

Vicenza,  conquered  by  Venice,  158. 

Victor  Emmanuel,  gallery  of,  154  ;  tomb  of, 
178  ;  entry  into  Naples,  192. 

Victoria,  Queen,  extent  of  empire,  115,  116. 

Victoria  Hospital,  Cairo,  319. 

Victoria  Nyanza,  source  of  the  Nile,  238. 

Vienna,  dread  of  the  Moors  at,  99  ;  Naples 
compared,  191 ;  size  of  Jerusalem  compared, 
357;  an  art  rival  of,  572  ;  in  the  city,  573. 

Vila,  Senor,  persecution  of,  64. 

Villa  Diomedcs,  the,  199. 

"  Ville  de  Naples,"  the,  137. 

Viminal  Hill,  177. 

Vinci,  Leonardo  da,  149,  154,  155  ;  monument 
at  Milan,  154  ;  in  Florence,  167  ;  paintings 
by,  in  Florence,  171. 

Vindictiveness,  of  Italians,  200. 

Vines,  at  Shechem,  436. 

Vineyards,  at  Buda-Pesth,  572. 

Violence,  in  Spain,  70. 

Virgil,  residence  near  Naples,  187,  192 ;  tomb 
of,  192. 

Virgin,  the  Holy,  miracles  of.  4-8  ;  Grotto  of 
the,  7 ;  sandal  of  the,  26-28;  a  black,  126; 
paintings  of,  in  Florence,  171  ;  Helena's 
pilgrimage  to  house  of,  202,  203  ;  tomb  of, 
365  ;  efficacy  of  prayer  to,  390  ;  scene  of  the 
Nativity,  399  ;  house  of,  at  Nazareth.  454; 
residence  in  Ephesus,  513.  See  also  MARY. 

"  Virgin  and  Cnild,"  painting  of,  by  St. 
Luke,  172,  185. 

Virgin's  Fountain,  the,  361,  362. 

Virgin's  Tree,  the,  219. 

Virtue,  in  Spain,  69. 

Visigoths,  enter  Spain,  52 ;  struggles  with 
Vandals,  52. 

Visions,  of  Bernadette  Soubirous,  4-8. 

Viticulture,  near  Athens,  516. 

Viturii,  dispute  between  Genoa  and  the,  144. 

Vocal  statue  of  Memnon,  the,  297. 

Voice,  peculiarity  of  human,  in  insanity,  329. 

Volatility,  a  French  characteristic,  200. 

Volcanoes,  hypothesis  concerning,  196;  ex- 
tinct, in  Syria,  478 ;  near  Damascus,  483. 
See  also  VESUVIUS. 

Vulcan,  the  Forge  of,  194. 

\Vady  Half  ah,  263. 

Wagner,  Richard,  death  of,  166. 

Wailing-place  of  the  Jews,  the.  382. 

Waldensians,  evangelical  work  of,  203,  204. 

Waldstein,  Dr.  Charles,  522. 

Wales,  Prince  of,  visit  to  the  Pyramids,  221 ; 
fame  of,  236. 

Wales,  Princess  of.  visit  to  the  Pyramids,  221. 

Wallachian  Princess,  munificence  of  a,  413. 

War,  effect  of.  at  Karnak,  279  ;  effects  in  the 
Soudan,  30*;. 

Warner,  Charles  Dudley,  on  Egyptian  travel, 
241  ;  on  scenery  of  the  Nile,_2s8  ;  an  omis- 
sion by,  264  ;  records  a  crocodile  in  the  Nile, 
273  ;  mention  of"  Antiquity  Smith,"  278. 

War  of  the  Spanish  Succession,  1 10. 

Warsaw,  dread  of  the  Moors  at,  99  ;  visit  of 
the  Czar  to,  544. 


614 


TRAVELS  IN  THREE  CONTINENTS. 


Washbum,  Rev.  George,  president  of  Robert 

College,  555. 

Washington,  George,  eulogy  of  Lafayette,  13. 
Watch-towers,  in  Palestine,  345. 
Water-carriers,  in  Egypt,  210, 294  ;  women  as, 

266  ;  in  Jerusalem,  362. 
Watering-places,  scanty  attire  at,  284. 
Water-jars,  manufacture  of  porous,  266. 
Waterpots,  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  458,  461. 
Waters,  scale  of  relative  freshness  of,  409. 

Waters  of  everlasting  life,  origin  of  the  sym- 
bol, 455. 

Water-wheels,  use  of,  in  Egypt,  274;  in  Nubia, 
312  ;  in  the  plain  of  Sharon,  345. 

Way  of  Grief,  the,  382,  385,  386. 

Wealth,  the  foundation  of,  146;  the  Nubian 
standard  of,  312. 

Weary  Man's  Village,  the,  548. 

Weddings,  barbarous  ceremonies  at  Abyssin- 
ian, 421. 

Welfare,  the  Stone  of,  250. 

Wellington,  Duke  of,  siege  of  San  Sebastian, 
ii  ;  gifts  to  the  Alhambra,  51 ;  declines 
offer  of  the  Alhambra,  57  ;  monument  to, 
at  Gibraltar,  in. 

Wells,  permanency  of  Syrian,  396,  397. 

"  Wending  their  way,  illustration  of  the 
phrase,  444. 

Wesleyans,  mission  in  Madrid,  29  ;  at  Gibral- 
tar, 108. 

West  Africans,  Riwak  of  the,  325. 

Western  Africans,  the  Gate  of  the,  374. 

Western  civilization,  a  magnificent  presenta- 
tion of,  in  Beirut,  496. 

Western  Empire,  fall  of  the,  177. 

West  Indies,  British  area  and  population,  115. 

Westminster  Abbey  of  Venice,  the,  166. 

Wheat,  thrashing  in  Morocco,  99;  cultivation 
of,  in  Egypt,  240. 

Whip,  the  use  of,  in  Egypt,  257. 

White,  Andrew  D.,  meeting  with  Gen.  Grant, 
207;  in  Cairo,  335;  meeting  with,  at  Ath- 
ens, 516. 

White  Nile,  the,  238. 

Whjttier,  John  G.,  "Among  the  Hills,"  467. 

Whittling,  a  Greek  equivalent  of  Yankee,  530. 

Widow's  son,  raising  the,  444. 

Wjld  beasts,  gladiatorial  combats  of  Jews,  474. 

Wilkinson,  Sir  J.  G.,  on  chronology  of  the 
Pyramids,  229 ;  on  the  age  of  Memphis, 
247  ;  Egyptologist,  266  ;  on  the  antiquity  of 
Thebes,  276  ;  chronology  of  Menes,  322. 

Wilson,  Prof.  Erasmus,  aids  in  removal  of 
Cleopatra's  Needle,  208. 

Wimples,  ancient  Egyptian,  320. 

Winding-sheets,  a  standard  of  measurement 
for,  390. 

Windmill  Hill,  Gibraltar,  no. 

Wine  of  Bordeaux,  2  ;  use,  in  Egypt,  216, 217. 

Wisdom,  allegorical  figure  on  Columbus  s 
statue,  143. 

Wise  Men,  the  spot  where  they  saw  the  Star 
in  the  East,  397. 

Wit,  of  Turks,  560. 

Witch  of  Endor,  Saul's  consultation  with,  446. 

Wives,  Mohammedan  plurality  of,  324  ;  the 
Salt  Lake  system,  324. 

Wolf,  sacredness  of,  in  Egypt,  263. 

Wolsey,  Cardinal,  modern  use  of  his  palace 
in  London,  165. 

Wolves,  mummies  of,  263 ;  the  City  of,  263. 

Woman  of  Samaria,  the,  436,  438. 

Women,  fabled  beauty  in  Seville,  44  ;  position 
in  the  Alhambra,  55 ;  religious  devotion. 


63  ;  standard  of  virtue  in  Spain,  69  ;  the 
confessional  and,  71  ;  in  Tangier,  85  ;  in 
Morocco,  91  ;  Jewish,  ox  ;  among  the 
Moors,  122 ;  among  the  Kabyles,  133 ;  at 
Monte  Carlo,  1^1  ;  restrictions  on,  in 
Genoa,  144  •  provision  for,  in  Genoa,  145  ; 
charges  against  those  of  Paris,  191  ;  cover- 
jng  the  face  in  Egypt,  218  ;  care  of  lunatic, 
in  Cairo,  218,  219;  on  the  Nile,  250;  fasci- 
nation of  Egyptian  girls,  256 ;  aversion  of 
the  _  holy  monk  John  to,  264  ;  as  water- 
carriers,  266,  294,  362  ;  working  in  Egypt, 
278  ;  scanty  attire  at  watering-places,  284 ; 
sufferings  from  heat,  294 ;  smoking,  299 ; 
dancing,  in  Thebes,  299  ;  deceptive  appear- 
ance of  age  in  Egyptian,  299,  300;  in 
Egyptian  symbolic  mythology,  322 ;  in 
Salt  Lake  City,  324 ;  status  in  Moham- 
medan countries,  324 ;  peculiar  effect  of 
insanity  on  the  voice  of,  329 ;  in  the 
Presbyterian  missions  in  Egypt,  332 ; 
scene  of  Christ's  address  to  the,  386  ;  ex- 
cluded from  convent  of  Mar  Sana,  403; 
polygamy  in  Palestine,  433  ;  Bedouin.  443, 
472;  stories  of  those  of  Symi,  500;  modern 
Greek,  528,  529  ;  Albanian,  528,  529  ;  ad- 
vantage over  men,  529  ;  prejudice  against, 
at  Mount  Athos,  532  ;  costume  of  Greek 
and  Mohammedan,  547 ;  Turkish  ideas 
about,  559,  561,  562  ;  beauties  of  Circassia, 
561  ;  costume  of  Servian,  571.  See  also 
COSTUME. 

Wood,  John  T.,  discovery  of  the  Temple  of 
Diana,  511. 

Wool,  trade  of  Damascus  in,  480. 

Works  and  faith,  a  curious  mixture  of,  492. 

World^the  supposed  center  of  the,  381. 

Worship,  the  lowest  point  of,  418  ;  the  most 
authentic  remnant  of  primitive,  in  Pales- 
tine, 436. 

Worst  town  in  the  world,  the,  338. 

Wortman,  Dr.  Denis,  author  of  ''  Reliques  of 
the  Christ,"  456. 

Wouverman,  Philip,  paintings  at  Madrid,  23. 

Wrecks,  on  the  Nile,  251. 

Writing,  the  spread  of,  169  ;  Dr.  Petrie's  dis- 
coveries concerning,  335. 

Wurtemberg,  a  peculiar  sect  of,  422. 

Xenophon,  509. 

Xerez  de  la  Fontera,  battle  of,  55. 

Xerxes,  509  ;  his  bridge  of  boats,  532. 

Yalo,  the  valley  of,  348,  349. 
Yankee,  a  Connecticut,  at  Thebes,  278. 
Yankee  custom,  a  Greek  equivalent  of  a,  530. 
"Yankee  Doodle,"  in  Egypt,  216. 
Yusuf  I,  wealth  of,  55;  contributions  to  the 
Alhambra,  55. 

Zechariah,  tomb  of,  362  ;  term  for  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  369. 

Zerin,  442,  443. 

Zerubbabel,  rebuilding  of  the  Temple  by,  342. 

Zeruiah,  the  mother  of  Joab,  355. 

Zin,  the  Wilderness  of,  284. 

Zincke,  F.  B.,  comparison  of  the  Nile  with  the 
Platte,  239  ;  on  the  wiles  of  Egyptian  girls, 
256  ;  opinion  of  an  antique  statue,  320. 

Zion,  Mount,  356,  417,  422. 

Zion,  the  castle  of,  captured  by  David,  355. 

Zion  Gate  of  Jerusalem,  374,  417,  419. 

Zion  Street,  Jerusalem,  417. 

Zoological  Station,  Naples,  190. 


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